1 month until a 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse puts on a show — mostly for penguins

two penguins stand in front of a setting sun. — The first solar eclipse of the year will be witnessed by more penguins than people. (Image credit: Dgwildlife via Getty Images)

Heads up, skywatchers! There's just one month to go until the annular solar eclipse of 2026.

At 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT) on Feb. 17, the moon will begin to turn the sun into an impressive "ring of fire" during an annular solar eclipse. Maximum eclipse, whereby the largest proportion of the sun is covered, will occur at 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT)

Viewers across the rest of Antarctica, along with parts of southern Africa and the southernmost regions of South America, will be treated to a partial solar eclipse. The rest of us will be able to follow the event online: official livestream details have not yet been released, but we'll share them as soon as they become available. You can also track the event as it happens via our solar eclipse live blog.

Concordia crew on one of the wooden observation platforms near the living quarters. — An observation platform at Concordia Station in Antarctica. The Concordia Station is in the path of annularity. (Image credit: IPEV/PNRA - E. Bondoux)

Solar eclipses happen at new moon, when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun, casting its shadow onto our planet. In a total solar eclipse, the moon is close enough to Earth that it appears the same size as — or slightly larger than — the sun, allowing it to fully cover the sun's disk and briefly turn day into night.

An annular eclipse, by contrast, occurs when the moon is farther from Earth in its slightly elliptical orbit and looks a little smaller than the sun. Instead of blocking the sun completely, it leaves a bright ring of sunlight encircling the moon — the striking "ring of fire" effect.

Where and when can I see the Feb. 17, 2026 annular solar eclipse?

Map showing path of the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026 over Antarctica. — The path of the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026. (Image credit: Michael Zeiler/EclipseAtlas.com)

Here are the very limited places the ring of fire may be seen during the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026:

Location: Concordia Research Station (French-Italian)

Annularity duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Time: 11:46 GMT

Sun height: 5 degrees above 241 degrees azimuth

Location: Mirny Station, Queen Mary Land, Antarctica (Russia)

Annularity duration: 1 minute, 52 seconds

Time: 12:07 GMT

Sun height: 10 degrees above west 264 degrees azimuth

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022, having previously worked as a staff writer for All About Space magazine. She completed an editorial internship with BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre, communicating space science to the public.

Daisy holds a PhD in plant physiology and a Master's in Environmental Science. Based in Nottingham, U.K., she covers all things space, with a special focus on solar activity and space weather. She also has a keen interest in astrotourism and is always on the lookout for the next northern lights adventure.

She will be a guest speaker aboard HX's Solar Eclipse Expedition in August 2026 and will join Hurtigruten as an onboard astronomer for a northern lights sailing in January 2027.