Antarctic 'ring of fire' solar eclipse set to dazzle penguins in February

On Feb 17, 2026, an annular solar eclipse—where the Sun appears as a ring—will sweep a narrow path across Antarctica, with up to about 96% of the Sun obscured at maximum along the annular track near Concordia Station. The ring of fire will be visible only within a long, thin corridor (roughly 2,661 by 383 miles); elsewhere in Antarctica and in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America viewers will see a partial eclipse. Because the path is so limited, most people will follow the event via livestreams or live blogs rather than witnessing the ring in person.