Antarctica witnesses a brief 'ring of fire' during February's annular eclipse

An annular solar eclipse swept across a remote Antarctic corridor on Feb. 17, producing a ring of fire as the Moon partially obscured the Sun. Annularity lasted a little over two minutes along a ~383‑mile-wide path that included the Concordia research station, with a partial eclipse visible to about 176 million people in southern South America and southern Africa. The event ended around 9:27 a.m. EST. The article notes the next major sky show will be the total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026, expected to be viewable by billions of people, offering a different kind of celestial spectacle.