We’re only one week away from the primary photo voltaic eclipse of 2026! This is what you have to know earlier than a dramatic “ring of fireside” annular eclipse darkens the sky over Antarctica on Feb. 17, doubtless complicated hundreds of thousands of penguins.
The eerie dimming is feasible due to a unprecedented little bit of celestial geometry. Earth’s moon is 400 occasions smaller than the solar, which occurs to be, on common, 400 occasions farther from our planet than its pure satellite tv for pc — a wondrous cosmic coincidence that causes each celestial objects to seem the identical dimension in our sky.
When is the next solar eclipse?
Feb. 17 will see a spectacular annular solar eclipse unfold over a swathe of Antarctica, as the moon glides between the sun and Earth, occulting the vast majority of our parent star while leaving its outer rim visible to form a burning halo in the southern sky.
The period of maximum eclipse — an event known as annularity — is set to begin at 7:12 a.m. EST (1212 GMT) and will last for 1 minute and 52 seconds, after which the moon’s silhouette will slide inexorably off the solar disk.
Sadly, the complete ring of fireside will solely be witnessed by the few human beings inhabiting analysis stations within the path of annularity, together with the hundreds of thousands of penguins who name the frozen continent house. Skywatchers within the southern excessive of South America, southeastern Africa and in components of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean can even bear witness to a lesser— but nonetheless breathtaking — partial photo voltaic eclipse, throughout which the lunar disk will likely be seen to take a “chunk” out of the solar.
Keep in mind, it is by no means secure to stare on the solar with the bare eye, even for a second, as doing so dangers quick and everlasting injury to your eyes. To observe the sun safely, you’ll need a pair of eclipse glasses designed to block out the lion’s share of the harmful ultraviolet and infrared solar radiation, or — for a closer look — a pair of dedicated solar binoculars, like the Lunt SUNoculars and Celestron Eclipsmart. And with the upcoming whole photo voltaic eclipse approaching Aug. 12, it is by no means too early to get all of your photo voltaic viewing tools prepared!
Editor’s Be aware: In case you seize a photograph of the Feb. 17 photo voltaic eclipse and wish to share it with Area.com’s readers, then please ship your picture(s), feedback, and your title and site to spacephotos@area.com.
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