Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:28
Sestao
43.310°, -3.007° · 65 m a.s.l.
0 min 18 s of night in broad daylight
Visible · score 76/100 Sun at +8° · 283° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 7.21° at C3.
Full totality was visible here. C3 — the end of totality — stayed above the horizon.
Total eclipse · 100% obscuration
C1 — Partial begins
19:32
☀ +18°
C2 — Totality begins
20:27
☀ +8°
Maximum
20:28
18s · 283° WNW
C4 — Partial ends
21:20
☀ -0°
SESTAO · 43.310° N -3.007° W
Photo: Javierme Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Sestao, day turned to night for 0 min 18 s.
At 20:28 local time, the Moon fully covered the Sun over Sestao. For 0 min 18 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 Sestao minute by minute
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About Sestao
Sestao is a municipality in the Basque Country located on the left bank of the Nervión estuary, in the province of Bizkaia. With nearly 27,000 inhabitants and barely 65 metres of altitude, the city spreads across flat terrain between the reliefs of the Gran Bilbao region. Its location beside the estuary has historically tied it to steel and shipbuilding industries. The town was founded in 1322 and today forms part of the urban continuum surrounding Bilbao.
For this eclipse
Sestao lies within the path of totality of the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026. Totality will reach its maximum at 20:27 local time, with the Sun positioned 8.3 degrees above the horizon—a very low angle that requires a clear line of sight towards the west-northwest. The margin above the topographic horizon is 7 degrees, sufficient if you choose a location with clear views in that direction, free from buildings or hills obstructing the view.
The weather in August
August in Sestao is mild and humid, with average temperatures of 19.8 °C, highs around 23 °C and lows rarely dropping below 16 °C. Average monthly precipitation exceeds 44 mm, reflecting the Atlantic character of the Basque climate. The risk of thunderstorms is high at this time of year, which may affect sky visibility around the eclipse. It is advisable to monitor forecasts in advance and consider trips to areas with less cloud cover. (Data: AEMET, 1991–2020.)
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse visible from Sestao occurred on 18 July 1860, 166 years ago, with a totality duration of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Before that, the last annular eclipse was recorded on 1 April 1764. After the eclipses of 2026, 2027 and 2028, one must wait until 27 February 2082 for the next annular eclipse, and until 17 November 2180 for the next total eclipse visible from this location.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of totality on 12 August 2026 at 20:27, the Sun will be located at azimuth 283°, towards the west-northwest, very close to the setting horizon. Its altitude will be barely 8.3 degrees, little more than a fist held at arm's length. This grazing trajectory makes the horizon a decisive factor: even modest obstacles such as buildings or a small hill can prevent observation of the totality phase.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Sestao
In Sestao, totality began at 20:27 local time and lasted 0 min 18 s, until 20:28. The eclipse maximum fell at 20:28.
In Sestao, the Sun was 8° above the horizon, toward the WNW. With that much margin above the horizon, any spot with open sky worked.
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 Sestao
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:31:43 | 17:31:43 UTC | +18.3° | 273.4° | |
| C2 — Totality begins | 20:27:26 | 18:27:26 UTC | +8.4° | 282.6° | |
| Maximum | 20:27:35 | 18:27:35 UTC | +8.3° | 282.6° | |
| C3 — Totality ends | 20:27:44 | 18:27:44 UTC | +8.3° | 282.7° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 21:08 | 19:08 UTC | +1.5° | 289.4° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:02 | 19:20:02 UTC | -0.3° | 291.5° |
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
- 43.3098° N
- Longitude
- 3.0072° W
- Elevation
- 65 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:31:43
- Totality begins
- 20:27:26
- Maximum
- 20:27:35
- Totality ends
- 20:27:44
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:02
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:19:29
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 48m 18s
- Totality
- 18s
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
8.31°
Sun altitude at maximum
1.06°
Terrain horizon
+7.21°
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 Sestao
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganekogorta | 999.2 m | 12.2 km | 169° S |
| Arrabatxu | 984 m | 12.3 km | 171° S |
| Pagero | 963 m | 12.3 km | 174° S |
| Terreros | 911 m | 23.8 km | 238° WSW |
| Gallarraga | 901 m | 12.6 km | 180° S |
| Eretza | 887 m | 9.4 km | 203° SSW |
| Kolitza | 883 m | 23.1 km | 239° WSW |
| Biderdi | 877 m | 12.1 km | 163° 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, 7 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 Sestao
- Last total eclipseAugust 12, 20260 years ago
- Last annular eclipseApril 1, 1764262 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 Sestao
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Sestao?
Yes — Sestao was inside the totality path and the horizon allowed the total phase to be fully visible.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Sestao?
Maximum occurred at 20:27 local time (18:27 UTC) in Sestao.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Sestao?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 283°), 8° above the horizon at maximum from Sestao.
How long did totality last in Sestao?
Totality lasted 0 min 18 s in Sestao (C2 to C3). (corrected for the Moon's limb profile)
Was Sestao a good place to watch the eclipse?
Sestao saw totality (C2-C3) very close to the western horizon. The partial end (C4) fell below the horizon: a clear western view was needed for an epic experience.
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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