Annular Solar Eclipse of February 17, 2026

The ring of fire was visible only from Antarctica. A partial eclipse covered the far southern oceans, the southern tip of South America and parts of southern Africa.

This eclipse has already happened; we keep its page for the record and for its place in the Saros bookkeeping. Nearly all of humanity sat this one out: the ring crossed Antarctica under a low late-summer Sun, seen by station crews, penguins and a handful of expedition cruises.

Where the ring goes

The antumbra traced an arc across East Antarctica, putting the ring of fire over some of the least-visited terrain on Earth; a research station or a ship in the Southern Ocean was the only way to stand under it. The partial phases reached Patagonia, the Falklands and the coasts of southern Africa.

For an interactive map of the track, and your own distance from the center line, open our Eclipse Explorer.

Timeline at the point of greatest eclipse

These contact times apply at the single point where the eclipse is deepest; along the rest of the track they shift by minutes to hours. The location panel below computes them for your own coordinates.

Central durations here are computed at the point of greatest eclipse with the engine's standard solar and lunar radii; published limb-corrected path maxima can differ by a few seconds.

What an annular solar eclipse is

In an annular eclipse the Moon passes squarely in front of the Sun but sits too far from Earth to cover it completely, leaving a brilliant ring of Sun, the famous ring of fire, around the Moon's silhouette. Because some direct sunlight always remains, the sky never darkens the way it does in a total eclipse, and eye protection is required from start to finish.

Eye safety is not optional

Looking at the Sun without proper protection damages the retina painlessly and permanently. For every partial phase of a solar eclipse, and for the whole of an annular eclipse, you need eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard, or a pinhole projector, or a solar filter fitted to the FRONT of any binoculars or telescope. Sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film and stacked filters are not safe, no matter how dark.

The single exception: during the minutes of totality in a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely covers the Sun, it is safe and unforgettable to look with the naked eye. The instant the first sliver of Sun returns, the glasses go back on.

Frequently asked questions

When was the annular solar eclipse of February 2026?

Greatest eclipse came on February 17, 2026 at 12:11 UTC. What an observer saw depended on where they stood; the location panel on this page still computes any spot's local timeline.

Where was the February 2026 solar eclipse visible?

The ring of fire was visible only from Antarctica. A partial eclipse covered the far southern oceans, the southern tip of South America and parts of southern Africa.

Do I need eclipse glasses for this eclipse?

Yes, for the entire eclipse. Even at maximum, a blinding ring of Sun remains visible, so there is never a safe moment to look without ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses or a projection method.

What is a Saros series?

Eclipses repeat in families called Saros series: 6,585.3 days (about 18 years 11 days) after any eclipse, the Sun, Moon and lunar nodes return to nearly the same geometry and produce a near-copy shifted a third of the way around Earth. This eclipse belongs to Saros series 121. Our Saros cycle profile explains the whole mechanism.

Keep exploring: the Eclipse Explorer for any date and location, our Saros cycle profile for why eclipses repeat, and how eclipses work from first principles.