A rare annular solar eclipse is scheduled to occur on Feb. 17. The celestial event will be visible from Antarctica. During the peak phase, the Moon will not completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright circular edge, which gives rise to a "ring of fire". Observers in the southern parts of South America and southern Africa will witness a partial eclipse, while much of the globe, including India, will miss out on the first solar eclipse of 2026 entirely.
"An annular solar eclipse will be visible in Antarctica, and a partial eclipse will be visible in Africa, South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean," NASA said on its website.
An annular solar eclipse takes place when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, but does not completely block the Sun's disk. Instead of total darkness, a bright halo remains visible: the striking effect often described as a “ring of fire”.
Areas just outside the main path will experience a partial eclipse. Experts stress that proper eclipse glasses are essential for safe viewing at all times, including during the annular stage.
According to Space.com, the "ring of fire" will last up to 2 minutes, 20 seconds.
"It's possible that only a few people will view this eclipse from within the annular zone," eclipse meteorologist Jay Anderson noted on his website, Eclipsophile.com. "It's a challenge to reach and there are only two inhabited locations within the annular shadow, neither of which is set up to welcome tourists."
As per Space.com, Concordia Station could offer a prime observing point on Feb. 17. The joint French-Italian facility, inaugurated in 2005, accommodates a small team of 16 scientists and is one of only three permanent research bases situated in Antarctica's interior.
After Concordia, the eclipse path will reach Mirny Station: the second and final inhabited location to see the phenomenon. Mirny holds historical significance as Russia's earliest Antarctic research base, opened in 1956 on the coast of Queen Mary Land beside the Davis Sea.
The corridor of annularity for the Feb. 17 solar eclipse, the zone in which the "ring of fire" will be visible, stretches roughly 4,282 km in length and spans about 616 km at its widest point.
The event will begin over the Antarctic mainland before moving out across the Davis Sea along the edge of the Southern Ocean. The Moon's antumbral shadow, responsible for the luminous ring effect, will sweep across the Earth in just under an hour, between 11:42 and 12:41 UTC (5:12 p.m. to 6:11 p.m. IST)
Solar Eclipse 2026 Location And Timings
As per Space.com, here are the locations along with the timings where the eclipse could be seen on Feb. 17:
- Location: Concordia Research Station (French-Italian)
Annularity duration: 2 minutes, 1 second
Time: 11:46 UTC (5:16 p.m. IST)
Sun height: 5 degrees above 241 degrees azimuth - Location: Mirny Station; Queen Mary Land, Antarctica (Russia)
Annularity duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds
Time: 12:07 UTC (5:37 p.m. IST)
Sun height: 10 degrees above west 264 degrees azimuth
This celestial event will be followed by a total solar eclipse in August.
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small area of Portugal on Aug. 12. A partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
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