Annular Solar Eclipse — February 17, 2026 On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the heavens will stage a stunning astronomical display: an annular solar eclipse, occurring as the Moon passes across the face of the Sun while aligned near its ascending node. During this event, the Moon will be positioned just far enough from Earth that its apparent diameter is slightly smaller than that of the Sun, allowing a brilliant ring of sunlight—known as an annulus or “ring of fire”—to encircle the darkened lunar disk. The eclipse will reach a magnitude of 0.963, meaning nearly 96.3% of the Sun will be obscured at maximum. However, unlike a total solar eclipse, the Moon will not completely cover the Sun, resulting in the iconic fiery ring visible only along a narrow path of annularity. This event is timed between lunar extremes: it will occur 6.8 days after apogee (when the Moon is farthest from Earth on February 10 at 16:50 UTC) and 7.5 days before perigee (its closest point on February 24 at 23:15 UTC), placing the Moon’s apparent size near its average and contributing to the annular nature of the eclipse. Annularity itself will be visible exclusively over Antarctica, casting a fleeting shadow across the icy continent. Meanwhile, the partial phases of the eclipse will be more widely visible, including the southernmost regions of South America, such as Argentina and Chile, as well as much of Southern Africa, reaching as far as South Africa, Mozambique, and Madagascar. As always with solar eclipses, proper viewing precautions are essential. Even during annular and partial phases, staring at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or solar filters can result in permanent eye damage.