Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:35
Valdepeñas
38.762°, -3.385° · 714 m a.s.l.
98% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 50/100 Sun at +6° · 284° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 6.20° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 98% obscuration
VALDEPEÑAS · 38.762° N -3.385° W
Photo: Miguel Angel Masegosa Martínez · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Valdepeñas, the Moon covered 98% of the Sun.
At 20:35 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Valdepeñas, covering up to 98% 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 76/ 100
Full ring visible
See the eclipse from Valdepeñas minute by minute
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About Valdepeñas
Valdepeñas is a municipality located in the south of Ciudad Real province, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, at 714 metres above sea level. It is home to roughly 31,000 residents and occupies a central position in the region that bears its name. The vast, flat La Mancha plain surrounding it offers unobstructed views in virtually every direction, which favours open-air astronomical observation.
For this eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Valdepeñas will experience a partial solar eclipse. The Sun will reach maximum obscuration at 20:34, local time, when it will be 6.2° above the horizon, with a clearance of 6.4° from the terrain. The flat topography of the area ensures good visibility towards the west-northwest, the exact direction of the Sun at that moment. It is advisable to seek an unobstructed location and use approved solar filters.
The weather in August
AEMET weather records for the period 1991–2020 show that the risk of thunderstorms in August is low in Valdepeñas. This is favourable for eclipse observation, since storms are the main weather threat in summer afternoons across the Southern Plateau. To plan your observation safely, it is recommended to check the specific weather forecast for 12 August in the days leading up to the event.
Past eclipses
The last total solar eclipse visible from Valdepeñas occurred on 10 July 1600, 426 years ago. Totality lasted just over two minutes on that occasion. Since then, no annular eclipse has crossed the city. The next notable occasion will arrive on 13 July 2075, when an annular eclipse will cover 87.3% of the solar disc as seen from this latitude, with a central phase lasting three and a half minutes.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, at 20:34 on 12 August 2026, the Sun will be positioned at 284° azimuth, almost due west-northwest, and 6.2° above the horizon line. The clearance of 6.4° from the surrounding terrain ensures that observation will not be obstructed across the flat plain. It is advisable to position yourself in an unobstructed spot, with no buildings or vegetation to the west, for an unimpeded view of the phenomenon.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Valdepeñas
In Valdepeñas, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:35 local time, with 98% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Valdepeñas, the Sun was 6° above the horizon, toward the WNW. With that much margin above the horizon, any spot with open sky worked.
This area typically sees around 5% median cloud cover at that hour, based on ten years of historical data — not a forecast for this specific eclipse.
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Don't miss it
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Eclipse schedule in Valdepeñas
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:39:40 | 17:39:40 UTC | +16.7° | 275.8° | |
| Maximum | 20:34:55 | 18:34:55 UTC | +6.2° | 284.1° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 21:10 | 19:10 UTC | +0.1° | 289.5° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:26:40 | 19:26:40 UTC | -2.9° | 292.1° |
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).
Phases shown in red aren't observable: they happen while the Sun is below the horizon.
Location
- Latitude
- 38.7621° N
- Longitude
- 3.3848° W
- Elevation
- 714 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:39:40
- Maximum
- 20:34:55
- Eclipse ends
- 21:26:40
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 21:11:46
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 47m 1s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 98%
- Sun altitude
- +6.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 284.1°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (284.1°)
284.1° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
6.22°
Sun altitude at maximum
0.02°
Terrain horizon
+6.20°
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 Valdepeñas
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Serijo | 1011 m | 17.7 km | 60° ENE |
| Calderera | 955 m | 22.0 km | 195° SSW |
| Cerro de la Piedra del Agua | 953 m | 16.8 km | 61° ENE |
| Cerro del Esparragal | 948 m | 22.0 km | 190° S |
| Cerro Moro | 935 m | 23.3 km | 188° S |
| Cerro de las Virtudes | 933 m | 21.7 km | 192° SSW |
| Cerro PrietoIn the Sun's direction | 927 m | 13.4 km | 302° WNW |
| Cerro de las Cuevas | 918 m | 22.5 km | 187° S |
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The August sky
5%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 0%Median cloud cover · 5%P75 — cloudier days · 49%
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 Valdepeñas
- Last total eclipseJuly 10, 1600426 years ago
- Next annular eclipseJuly 13, 2075
Solar eclipses computed from astronomical ephemerides for the city's coordinates.
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Frequently asked questions about the eclipse in Valdepeñas
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Valdepeñas?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 98% covered at maximum from Valdepeñas.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Valdepeñas?
Maximum occurred at 20:34 local time (18:34 UTC) in Valdepeñas.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Valdepeñas?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 284°), 6° above the horizon at maximum from Valdepeñas.
Was Valdepeñas a good place to watch the eclipse?
Valdepeñas 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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