Eclipse 12 Aug 2026 · 20:30
Vilafranca del Penedès
41.346°, 1.697° · 229 m a.s.l.
99.9% of the Sun covered at maximum
Visible · score 48/100 Sun at +4° · 286° WNW
The Sun clears local terrain by 2.61° at peak.
Partial eclipse · 99.9% obscuration
VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDÈS · 41.346° N 1.697° E
Photo: Lucie2beaugency · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
In Vilafranca del Penedès, the Moon covered 99.9% of the Sun.
At 20:30 local time, the Moon took a bite out of the Sun over Vilafranca del Penedès, covering up to 99.9% 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 57/ 100
Marginal visibility — depends on fine horizon
See the eclipse from Vilafranca del Penedès minute by minute
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About Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès is a city in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, with just over 38,000 inhabitants. Located at 229 meters altitude in the Penedès region, it occupies a territory with strong agricultural and wine-growing traditions in the interior of the Catalan coast. Its position in the Barcelona hinterland places it far from the shoreline, surrounded by gentle hills that define the landscape of the region.
For this eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Vilafranca del Penedès will experience a visible partial solar eclipse. Maximum will occur at 20:29, when the Sun will be barely 4.2° above the horizon—very low in the evening sky—with a margin of 2.7° above the local topographic horizon. It is advisable to seek an observation point with an open horizon toward the west-northwest, free from buildings or trees that might obstruct the view.
The weather in August
August in Vilafranca del Penedès is characterized by typical summertime conditions of interior Catalonia. AEMET data for the period 1991-2020 indicates a low risk of thunderstorms, which favors atmospheric stability during summer. Although specific temperature or precipitation data are not available for the local reference station, the general profile of the region points to warm days and mild nights.
Past eclipses
The last total eclipse visible from Vilafranca del Penedès occurred on May 12, 1706, 320 years ago, lasting nearly four minutes of totality. More recently, on November 11, 1901—125 years ago—an annular eclipse covered more than 82% of the solar disk. After the 2026-2028 eclipses, one will have to wait until July 13, 2075 for the next annular eclipse, and until 2180 for the next total.
Direction and altitude of the Sun
At the moment of maximum eclipse, the Sun will be positioned 4.2° above the horizon, in a direction of 286° azimuth—practically toward the west-northwest, very close to due west. With the Sun so close to the horizon, observation will require an elevated location or a line of sight free from obstructions in that direction. Twilight light will accompany the phenomenon during its final visible minutes.
Editorial text by eclipses.app · Data: Wikidata, AEMET, NASA and JPL planetary ephemerides.
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The eclipse from Vilafranca del Penedès
In Vilafranca del Penedès, the eclipse reached its maximum at 20:30 local time, with 99.9% of the Sun covered by the Moon.
In Vilafranca del Penedès, the Sun was 4° above the horizon, toward the WNW. Even so, a clear horizon toward the WNW helped.
This area typically sees around 15% 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 Vilafranca del Penedès
Local time · Europe/Madrid| Phase | Local time | UTC | Progress | Sun alt. | Sun az. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 — Partial begins | 19:35:11 | 17:35:11 UTC | +14.0° | 277.6° | |
| Maximum | 20:29:30 | 18:29:30 UTC | +4.2° | 286.2° | |
| The Sun sets behind the terrain(terrain event, not an eclipse phase) | 20:44 | 18:44 UTC | +1.8° | 288.5° | |
| C4 — Partial endsnot visible | 21:20:39 | 19:20:39 UTC | -4.4° | 294.7° |
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
- 41.3462° N
- Longitude
- 1.6971° E
- Elevation
- 229 m
Eclipse phases
- Eclipse begins
- 19:35:11
- Maximum
- 20:29:30
- Eclipse ends
- 21:20:39
- Sunset (flat horizon)
- 20:56:34
Duration
- Eclipse
- 1h 45m 28s
Values at maximum
- Obscuration
- 99.9%
- Sun altitude
- +4.2°
- Sun azimuth
- 286.2°
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Sun direction and altitude at maximum
It was toward WNW (286.2°)
286.2° WNW
Azimuth at maximum
4.19°
Sun altitude at maximum
1.58°
Terrain horizon
+2.61°
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 Vilafranca del Penedès
| Peak | Elevation | Distance | Azimuth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puig de FormigosaIn the Sun's direction | 1002 m | 22.9 km | 292° WNW |
| MontagutIn the Sun's direction | 963 m | 23.9 km | 286° WNW |
| Puig CastellarIn the Sun's direction | 943 m | 18.9 km | 307° NW |
| Puig de SolanesIn the Sun's direction | 913.9 m | 19.5 km | 301° WNW |
| la Creu de la CostaIn the Sun's direction | 908.1 m | 22.0 km | 295° WNW |
| Puig d'en RoviraIn the Sun's direction | 904.2 m | 24.8 km | 287° WNW |
| el GronyIn the Sun's direction | 884 m | 24.6 km | 309° NW |
| Cingle de les CasesvellesIn the Sun's direction | 878.4 m | 19.2 km | 305° NW |
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The August sky
15%Historical average cloud cover
P25 — clearer days · 3%Median cloud cover · 15%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 Vilafranca del Penedès
- Last total eclipseMay 12, 1706320 years ago
- Last annular eclipseNovember 11, 1901125 years ago
- Next total eclipseNovember 17, 2180
- 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 Vilafranca del Penedès
Was the eclipse of August 12, 2026 visible from Vilafranca del Penedès?
Yes, partial eclipse: the Sun was 99.9% covered at maximum from Vilafranca del Penedès.
What time was the eclipse maximum in Vilafranca del Penedès?
Maximum occurred at 20:29 local time (18:29 UTC) in Vilafranca del Penedès.
Which direction was the Sun in during the eclipse from Vilafranca del Penedès?
The Sun was toward the WNW (azimuth 286°), 4° above the horizon at maximum from Vilafranca del Penedès.
Was Vilafranca del Penedès a good place to watch the eclipse?
Vilafranca del Penedès could see the eclipse with limitations (score 48/100): terrain, geometry, or climatology added risk. A higher-scored viewpoint would have been preferable.
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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