Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

2026 Annular Eclipse: 176 Million Witness Spectacular Ring

2/17/2026

28 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

An annular solar eclipse occurred on February 17, 2026, beginning at 09:56 UTC and ending at 14:27 UTC, primarily visible in Antarctica.
The moon covered about 96% of the sun's disk, creating a bright ring.
Concordia research station offered the best view, with the annular phase lasting about 2 minutes 20 seconds.
A partial eclipse was visible in southern Africa and South America, with about 176 million people witnessing it.

History

Historical Context

The annular solar eclipse on May 10, 1994, captivated around 20 million viewers across the United States as the moon obscured 90% of the sun. This event marked the first annular eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. since 1979, highlighting humanity's fascination with celestial events. The upcoming 2026 eclipse continues this tradition, uniting people in awe of the cosmos.

1 of 2

Story summary

An annular solar eclipse occurred on February 17, 2026, beginning at 09:56 UTC and ending at 14:27 UTC, primarily visible in Antarctica.
The moon covered about 96% of the sun's disk, creating a bright ring.
Concordia research station offered the best view, with the annular phase lasting about 2 minutes 20 seconds.
A partial eclipse was visible in southern Africa and South America, with about 176 million people witnessing it.

1 / 2