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Annular Solar Eclipse to Occur February 17, Visible in Antarctica, Southern Africa, and South America

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Annular Solar Eclipse: "Ring of Fire" Over Antarctica on February 17th

An annular solar eclipse is scheduled for February 17, with its path of annularity primarily across Antarctica. This astronomical event, characterized by the Moon passing between Earth and the Sun, will create a "ring of fire" effect for observers within the central path. A partial solar eclipse will be visible in wider regions, including parts of southern Africa and southernmost South America.

Understanding an Annular Solar Eclipse

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun but is too distant from Earth to completely obscure the Sun's disk.

Due to this greater distance, the Moon appears smaller than the Sun, resulting in a visible, bright outer ring of the Sun during the peak of the eclipse, commonly referred to as a "ring of fire." During maximum annularity, the Moon is expected to cover approximately 96% of the Sun's disk.

Visibility Path and Key Locations

The path of annularity, where the "ring of fire" will be observable, is confined to a region of Antarctica. This path measures approximately 2,661 miles (4,282 kilometers) in length and 383 miles (616 kilometers) in width.

Direct viewing of annularity will be primarily limited to personnel at isolated Antarctic research stations, such as Concordia Station, where the eclipse will be visible low on the southwestern horizon. A partial solar eclipse will be observable from other parts of Antarctica, sections of southern Africa, and southernmost South America. The exact timing and appearance of each phase will vary by geographical location.

Eclipse Timeline

The eclipse phases on February 17 are scheduled as follows (all times Eastern Standard Time, EST, with Greenwich Mean Time, GMT, in parentheses):

  • Partial Eclipse Begins (First Contact): 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT). The Moon's disk will begin its transit across the Sun.
  • Annularity Begins (Second Contact, Globally): 6:42 a.m. EST (1142 GMT). The Moon's silhouette will be entirely within the Sun's disk, forming the characteristic "ring of fire." This phase is projected to last nearly two hours at locations such as Concordia Station.
  • Maximum Annularity/Point of Maximum Eclipse: 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT). At this moment, the Moon will be centrally positioned within the Sun's disk. The duration of this peak annularity is expected to be up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
  • Partial Eclipse Ends (Fourth Contact): 9:27 a.m. EST (1427 GMT). The Moon will completely depart from the Sun's disk.

Safety Precautions for Viewing

Directly observing the Sun without proper protection can cause permanent vision damage. For safe viewing of any solar eclipse, whether partial or annular, certified solar filters must be used at all times. This includes wearing specialized solar eclipse glasses and ensuring that cameras, telescopes, and binoculars are equipped with appropriate solar filters over their lenses from trusted brands.

Upcoming Astronomical Events

Following this annular solar eclipse, two notable astronomical events are anticipated:

  • Total Lunar Eclipse: A total lunar eclipse, often referred to as a "Blood Moon," is scheduled for March 3. During this event, Earth will pass directly between the full Moon and the Sun. The totality of this lunar eclipse is projected to be visible across parts of North America, East Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.
  • Next Solar Eclipse: The next solar eclipse will be a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. This total eclipse is projected to be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain, with a partial eclipse observable across wider areas of Europe and Africa.