Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:30
Pontevedra
42.431°, -8.644° · 29 m a.s.l.
99.6% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +12° · 279° W
The Sun clears local terrain by 8.97° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.6% obscuration
PONTEVEDRA · 42.431° N -8.644° W
Photo: juantiagues · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Pontevedra, the Moon covered 99.6% of the Sun.
At 20:30 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Pontevedra, covering up to 99.6% of its disc. It didn't become a total or annular eclipse: the Sun kept shining throughout.
The other two eclipses from here
Eclipse 2 Aug 2027
Score 50/ 100
Eclipse visible
The Sun will be 37-41° high, so terrain rules out no city at all: of the 560 assessed, 522 tie on the same score. What decides is being inside the path.
Eclipse 26 Jan 2028
Score 50/ 100
Eclipse visible
See the eclipse from Pontevedra minute by minute
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About Pontevedra
Pontevedra is the capital of the province of the same name in Galicia, situated at the mouth of the Lérez river on the Pontevedra estuary. With around 82,800 inhabitants and just 29 meters above sea level, the city occupies an Atlantic coastal setting where lush vegetation and coastal humidity define the character of the landscape. Its medieval old town is one of the best-preserved urban ensembles in the northwestern peninsula.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Pontevedra will experience a partial solar eclipse. The maximum will occur at 20:29, with the Sun at 11.8° of altitude above the horizon and a clearance of 9.3° relative to the surrounding terrain, ensuring unobstructed visibility. Totality will not be reached, but the partial obscuration of the solar disk will be noticeable to the naked eye with proper solar filters.
The weather in August
August in Pontevedra is characterized by low risk of thunderstorms, which favors eclipse observation. The local AEMET weather station's climate data do not provide complete records for average temperatures, rainfall, or percentage of clear skies for this month, so it is advisable to check the weather forecast in the days leading up to the eclipse to confirm the specific conditions.
Past eclipses
The last annular eclipse visible from Pontevedra took place on October 3, 2005, 21 years ago, with an obscuration of 90% and an annular phase of approximately 4 minutes. There is no record of any previous total eclipse from this city. After the eclipses of 2026–2028, the next annular will arrive on February 27, 2082, and it will be necessary to wait until October 26, 2144 for a total eclipse.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun will be at 11.8° of altitude and its azimuth will be 279°, practically due west with a slight inclination toward the northwest. To orient yourself, it is best to position yourself facing the western horizon, with no buildings or trees blocking that direction. The altitude of the Sun is sufficiently comfortable for observation from any point open to the west.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Pontevedra
In Pontevedra, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:30 local time, with 99.6% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Pontevedra, the Sun was 12° above the horizon, toward the West. With that much margin above the horizon, any spot with open sky worked.
This area typically sees around 4% median cloud cover at that hour, based on ten years of historical data — not a forecast for this specific eclipse.
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<iframe src="https://eclipses.app/embed/widget?lat=42.4310&lon=-8.6443&size=standard&theme=dark&locale=en" width="320" height="340" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Eclipse 2026"></iframe>03
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Eclipse schedule in Pontevedra
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:32:38 | 17:32:38 UTC | +22.2° | 270.0° | |
| Maximum | 20:29:56 | 18:29:56 UTC | +11.7° | 279.5° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 21:16 | 19:16 UTC | +3.6° | 287.0° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:23:31 | 19:23:31 UTC | +2.3° | 288.2° |
Phases marked with ⛰️ were not seen: the Sun was already hidden behind the real terrain at that moment.
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Eclipse phases
Times in CEST local time
Oriented as seen with the naked eye, zenith up (official ephemerides usually draw it with celestial north up, rotated with respect to this).
Location
- Latitude
- 42.4310° N
- Longitude
- 8.6443° W
- Elevation
- 29 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:32:38
- Maximum
- 20:29:56
- Eclipse ends
- 21:23:31
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:40:10
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 50m 53s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.6%
- Sun altitude
- +11.7°
- Sun azimuth
- 279.5°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward West (279.5°)
279.5° W
Azimuth at maximum
11.75°
Sun altitude at maximum
2.78°
Terrain horizon
+8.97°
Sun−terrain margin
What the contact points (C1-C4) mean
A solar eclipse is described by four key moments, the contact points between the discs of the Sun and the Moon:
- C1First contact: the Moon touches the edge of the Sun and the partial eclipse begins.
- C2Second contact: the Moon fully covers the Sun and totality begins.
- C3Third contact: the Sun reappears and totality ends.
- C4Fourth contact: the Moon leaves the Sun's disc and the eclipse ends.
Where the eclipse is only partial, the Moon never fully covers the Sun: only C1 and C4 occur, with no totality in between.
Peaks near Pontevedra
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outeiro do Couto | 1014 m | 23.9 km | 71° ENE |
| Outeiro do Vento | 1004 m | 23.9 km | 72° ENE |
| Coto Castelán | 994 m | 21.1 km | 80° E |
| Collado Castelán | 923 m | 20.6 km | 79° E |
| Portela do Foxo | 914 m | 19.6 km | 85° E |
| Outeiro das Éguas | 913 m | 24.9 km | 90° E |
| Pena Aranda | 907 m | 24.9 km | 118° ESE |
| Pena Erbededa | 897 m | 22.7 km | 128° SE |
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The August sky
4%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 4%P75 — cloudier days · 24%
10-year average over 70 samples: the 3 days before and after 12 August, at the same eclipse hour · Source: ERA5 (ECMWF)
Cloud forecast
Full cloud-cover forecast for eclipse day, including the hour-by-hour outlook toward the sun. Available with PRO.
See plansOther eclipses seen from Pontevedra
- Last annular eclipseOctober 3, 200521 years ago
- Next total eclipseOctober 26, 2144
- Next annular eclipseFebruary 27, 2082
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Pontevedra
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Pontevedra?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 99.6% covered at maximum from Pontevedra.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Pontevedra?
Maximum occurred at 20:29 local time (18:29 UTC) in Pontevedra.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Pontevedra?
The Sun was toward the West (azimuth 279°), 12° above the horizon at maximum from Pontevedra.
Was Pontevedra a good place to watch the eclipse?
Pontevedra was a good option (score 50/100): all eclipse phases were visible, though not the regional optimum.
Do I need special glasses to watch the eclipse?
Yes, you need ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses during every partial phase. Regular sunglasses do NOT protect. Glasses can only be removed during the totality phase (when the Sun is fully covered); never during annular or partial eclipses. Pages flagged "visible" assume a clear horizon, not a viewing recommendation.
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