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Antarctic ‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse Set for Feb. 17, Launching 2026’s Eclipse Year

Annularity will be visible only from Antarctica, with southern Patagonia and parts of southern Africa limited to a partial view.

Overview

  • Authoritative schedules place the event from about 09:56 to 14:27 UTC, with the annular phase roughly 11:42–12:41 UTC and a peak lasting about two to two minutes twenty seconds.
  • The Moon will be near apogee and cover about 96–96.3% of the Sun, yielding a sharply defined ring for only a brief interval.
  • The path of annularity runs over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, while partial phases will reach southern Argentina and Chile as well as regions of southern Africa; it will not be visible in Mexico or Peru.
  • Space agencies and observatories stress eye safety, advising ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewers or indirect projection and warning never to look at the Sun without proper protection.
  • This eclipse opens a busy year that includes a 12 August total solar eclipse over Spain, Greenland and Iceland, which is already driving scientific campaigns and tourism planning in Aragón.