In February 2026, skywatchers will witness the stunning “Ring of Fire” effect, which is an annular solar eclipse, where the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun but forms a visible fiery ring. This celestial event will be visible from parts of the Southern Hemisphere.
For those who want the details, Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes completely or partially between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on the Earth that prevents sunlight from reaching it. This phenomenon happens because the Moon’s orbit is tilted relative to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Solar Eclipse 2026: Date And Time
The solar eclipse in February 2026 will occur on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. It will be an annular solar eclipse, also known as the “Ring of Fire” eclipse, and will last up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds. This will occur at 12:11 UT, which corresponds approximately to 5:30 PM IST. Because of which the eclipse won’t be visible in India, as the sun will be below the horizon at that time.
Read More: Solar Eclipse 2026 On February 17: Will It Be Visible In India? Full List Of Cities To Witness Next Celestial Event
Solar Eclipse 2026: Full List Of Cities
This annular phase will be limited to a few regions and will be visible mainly over Antarctica. Partially it will be visible in the southern Indian Ocean, which crosses Antarctica’s coastal regions near the Ronne Ice Shelf and ends in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This view can be observed in the African regions like Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Windhoek, and Gaborone.
How To Watch
You can watch this eclipse with certified ISO 12312-2 solar eclipse glasses. You can also use a safe handheld solar viewer. If you don’t have any of these, you can use pinhole projector methods, which prevent you from directly looking at the sun. Make sure you are not looking at the eclipse with your regular sunglasses, camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope. This may severely damage your retina.
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