PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE · SUN SETS DURINGBilbao, SpainWednesday 12 August 2026 · times in CEST (UTC+2)
28s
OF TOTAL DARKNESS
The Sun disappeared completely. The corona came out around a black disc, bright stars and planets appeared, and the horizon glowed like sunset in every direction at once.
THE SUN SETS PART-WAY THROUGH
Sunset was at 21:19, with the Sun still 100% covered. Everything after that happened below the horizon.02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 1h 48m. All times are local, in CEST.
19:31 MAX 20:27 21:20
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 19:31 | 18° W |
| Totality beginsfilters off — the corona | 20:27 | — |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 20:27 | 8° WNW |
| Totality endsfilters back on, immediately | 20:27 | — |
| SUNSET 21:19 NOTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS VISIBLE | ||
| Last contacthappens after the Sun has set | 21:20 | BELOW HORIZON1° under |
Times for the hidden phases are given because they are real — they are simply not observable from here.
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun was just 8° above the horizon to the west — low enough to need a clear, flat horizon, over water or from high ground.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Bilbao. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
The Sun disappeared entirely. For those few minutes the corona stood out around a black disc, bright stars and planets came out, and the horizon took on the colours of a sunset in every direction at once. It was not a deeper version of a partial eclipse; it was a different event, and the difference arrived in the last few seconds.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
Bilbao lay inside the path, 147 km from its centre line. The path was 299 km wide here.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 07:13
- SUNSET
- 21:19
- DAY LENGTH
- 14h 06m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 21:50
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 100%
- COORDINATES
- 43.263° N, 2.935° W
- PATH WIDTH
- 299 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 3,415 km/h
- SAROS
- 126 · no. 54
- MAGNITUDE
- 1.0006
- GAMMA
- 0.8977
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM BILBAO
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Bilbao has coming, soonest first.