Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:28
Santurtzi
43.328°, -3.032° · 13 m a.s.l.
0 min 17 s of night in broad daylight
Hidden by terrain · score 49/100 Sun at +8° · 283° WNW
Local terrain rises 2.93° above the Sun at C3.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:32
☀ +18°
C2 — Totality begins
20:27
☀ +8°
Maximum
20:28
17s · 283° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:20
☀ -0°
SANTURTZI · 43.328° N -3.032° W
Photo: Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
In Santurtzi, day turned to night for 0 min 17 s.
At 20:28 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over Santurtzi. For 0 min 17 s, the sky darkened as if it were night, leaving the Sun as a ring of light around a black disc.
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 23/ 100
Blocked by terrain
See the eclipse from Santurtzi minute by minute
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About Santurtzi
Santurtzi is a municipality in Bizkaia, in the Basque Country, situated on the banks of the Nervión estuary, just a few kilometers from Bilbao. Founded in 1075, the city is now home to nearly 47,000 inhabitants and sits just 13 meters above sea level. Its coastal position, open to the Cantabrian Sea, shapes both its urban landscape and its climatic conditions throughout the year.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Santurtzi lies within the path of totality of the solar eclipse: at the moment of third contact (C3), at 20:27 local time, the Sun will be 8.3° above the horizon. The margin relative to the topographic horizon is only 0.8°, making the observation marginal — any obstruction in the line of sight to the west-northwest can prevent you from seeing the complete totality phase.
The weather in August
August in Santurtzi is considerably cooler than in inland Spain: the average temperature hovers around 19.8 °C, with highs of 23.3 °C and lows of 16.2 °C (AEMET data 1991–2020). The average precipitation for the month reaches 44.8 mm, and the risk of thunderstorms in August is high. Anyone planning to observe the eclipse should be prepared for cloudy skies and have contingency plans to travel to areas with better forecasts.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Santurtzi occurred on July 18, 1860, 166 years ago, lasting 2 minutes and 45 seconds of totality. Before that event, the city witnessed an annular eclipse on April 1, 1764, 262 years ago. After the eclipses of 2026–2028, one must wait until February 27, 2082 for the next annular eclipse, and until November 17, 2180 for the next total.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:27 local time, the Sun will be in the west-northwest direction, with an azimuth of 283° and an altitude of 8.3° above the horizon. This is a low Sun, close to sunset, so it is essential to have a clear horizon in that direction: buildings, hills, or any obstruction to the northwest can block your view at the critical moment.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Santurtzi
In Santurtzi, totality began at 20:27 local time and lasted 0 min 17 s, until 20:28. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:28.
In Santurtzi, the Sun was 8° above the horizon, toward the WNW. But local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended: a nearby viewpoint with a clear horizon would have worked better.
This area typically sees around 44% median cloud cover at that hour, based on ten years of historical data — not a forecast for this specific eclipse.
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Eclipse schedule in Santurtzi
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:31:41 | 17:31:41 UTC | +18.3° | 273.3° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:11 | 18:11 UTC | +11.3° | 279.8° | |
| C2 — Totality beginsnot visible | 20:27:25 | 18:27:25 UTC | +8.4° | 282.6° | |
| Maximumnot visible | 20:27:33 | 18:27:33 UTC | +8.3° | 282.6° | |
| C3 — Totality endsnot visible | 20:27:42 | 18:27:42 UTC | +8.3° | 282.6° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:01 | 19:20:01 UTC | -0.3° | 291.4° |
Phases marked with ⛰️ were not seen: the Sun was already hidden behind the real terrain at that moment.
C2/C3 times and duration corrected for the lunar limb (the Moon's real edge profile).
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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).
Phases shown in red aren't observable: they happen while the Sun is below the horizon.
Location
- Latitude
- 43.3284° N
- Longitude
- 3.0325° W
- Elevation
- 13 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:31:41
- Totality begins
- 20:27:25
- Maximum
- 20:27:33
- Totality ends
- 20:27:42
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:01
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:19:39
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 48m 20s
- Totality
- 17s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 100%
- Sun altitude
- +8.3°
- Sun azimuth
- 282.6°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (282.6°)
282.6° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
8.34°
Sun altitude at maximum
11.23°
Terrain horizon
-2.93°
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 Santurtzi
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganekogorta | 999.2 m | 14.7 km | 163° SSE |
| Arrabatxu | 984 m | 14.8 km | 164° SSE |
| Pagero | 963 m | 14.7 km | 167° SSE |
| Terreros | 911 m | 23.3 km | 231° SW |
| Gallarraga | 901 m | 14.8 km | 172° S |
| Eretza | 887 m | 10.9 km | 188° S |
| Kolitza | 883 m | 22.7 km | 231° SW |
| Biderdi | 877 m | 14.8 km | 158° SSE |
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The August sky
Avg. temp.
19.8°C
Max / min
23.3° / 16.2°
Precipitation
44.8 mm
Storm risk
High
Station PUNTA GALEA, 5 km away · Period 1991-2020 · Source: AEMET
44%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 12%Median cloud cover · 44%P75 — cloudier days · 83%
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 Santurtzi
The path of totality crossed over Santurtzi, but the Sun was behind the terrain before the total phase began.
- Last total eclipseJuly 18, 1860166 years ago
- Last annular eclipseApril 1, 1764262 years ago
- Totality blocked by terrainAugust 12, 20260 years ago
- Next total eclipseNovember 17, 2180
- 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 Santurtzi
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Santurtzi?
Geometrically yes (100% obscuration), but the local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended from Santurtzi.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Santurtzi?
Maximum occurred at 20:27 local time (18:27 UTC) in Santurtzi.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Santurtzi?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 283°), 8° above the horizon at maximum from Santurtzi.
How long did totality last in Santurtzi?
Totality lasted 0 min 17 s in Santurtzi (C2 to C3). (corrected for the Moon's limb profile)
Was Santurtzi a good place to watch the eclipse?
Santurtzi was not the best choice: local terrain blocked the Sun before the eclipse ended. A nearby viewpoint with a clear horizon would have offered a better view.
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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