Liputan6.com, Jakarta - A stunning astronomical phenomenon, an annular Solar Eclipse, is set to grace the skies on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
The event, also called an annular solar eclipse, occurs “when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, but the moon is too far away in its orbit to completely cover the sun’s disk,” Dr. C. Alex Young, associate director for science communication in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said.
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This rare event will showcase a spectacular "ring of fire," but will only be visible in Antarctica and parts of the Southern Ocean.
An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but at its farthest point from Earth.
This causes the Moon to appear smaller and not completely cover the Sun's disk, leaving a bright ring of light at its edge.
What is an annular solar eclipse?
An annular solar eclipse is one of the most fascinating types of solar eclipse to observe.
This phenomenon occurs when the Moon is directly between the Sun and Earth, but at the farthest point in its elliptical orbit.
Because of this greater distance, the Moon appears smaller than the Sun's disk as seen from Earth.
As a result, the Moon is unable to completely cover the Sun.
The outer edge of the Sun remains visible as a very bright circle of light, creating a stunning visual effect known as a "ring of fire."
This event differs from a total solar eclipse, where the Moon completely covers the Sun, or a partial solar eclipse, where only a small portion of the Sun is covered.
This February 2026 annular solar eclipse has a magnitude of 0.963, indicating how much of the Sun's disk will be covered.
Annular Solar Eclipse Schedule and Visibility Locations
This upcoming annular solar eclipse is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2026, with a total eclipse duration of 4 hours and 32 minutes.
The partial eclipse phase will begin at 09:56 GMT, marking the beginning of this astronomical event.
The peak of the "ring of fire" phenomenon will occur at 12:12 GMT (7:12 PM WIB), when the Moon will cover approximately 96 percent of the Sun's disk.
This "ring of fire" phase is expected to last a maximum of 2 minutes and 20 seconds, offering a brief but extraordinary view for observers in the right location.
The path of this solar eclipse is very limited, visible only in remote areas of Antarctica and parts of the Southern Ocean, particularly along the coast of the Davis Sea.
This path stretches 4,282 kilometers and is 616 kilometers wide.Meanwhile, a partial eclipse can be observed in the southern tip of South America, including parts of Chile and Argentina.
Furthermore, much of southern Africa, including South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will also witness this partial eclipse.
The Safety to Observe Solar Eclipse
Directly viewing a solar eclipse without proper eye protection can cause serious and permanent eye damage, even blindness.
For safe viewing, people in visible areas are required to use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or a special solar filter.
Regular sunglasses, while dark in appearance, do not provide adequate protection and are strongly discouraged.
The use of optical devices such as cameras, telescopes, or binoculars requires a special solar filter installed in front of the lens.
Never view the Sun through these optical devices with only eclipse glasses, as the concentrated light can penetrate the filter and cause instant eye damage.
A safe alternative for observing a solar eclipse is an indirect method, such as using a pinhole projector.