“The penguins down there are going to have a great show” — ‘ring of fire’ eclipse hits Antarctica Tuesday

NEW YORK — The first solar eclipse of 2026 will carve a narrow “ring of fire” across Antarctica on Tuesday, giving researchers and wildlife on the southernmost continent the best view of a celestial event that most of the world won’t see at all.

Tuesday’s event is an annular solar eclipse, which happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun while it is slightly farther from Earth than average. Because the moon appears a bit smaller in the sky, it does not fully cover the sun, leaving a bright ring — the “ring of fire” — around the moon’s silhouette for observers positioned in the path of annularity.

“The penguins down there are going to have a great show,” astronomer Joe Llama of Lowell Observatory said, noting that the eclipse’s best viewing will be limited to a remote region with few people on the ground.

The annular eclipse is expected to peak over Antarctica on Feb. 17, 2026, with the full ring visible only for a brief window. Outside the path of annularity, a partial eclipse will be visible across Antarctica and, depending on location and weather, parts of the Southern Hemisphere including areas of southern South America and sections of southern and southeastern Africa, according to eclipse forecasts.

For people outside Antarctica who catch a partial view, astronomers emphasized that eye safety rules still apply. Even when the sun is partially covered, looking directly at it without proper protection can cause serious eye injury. Experts recommend using eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard, or using indirect viewing methods such as a pinhole projector.

Antarctica’s extreme weather and cloud cover can make skywatching unpredictable, but the continent’s research stations and seasonal field teams are among the small groups positioned to potentially witness the annular phase. Scientists and eclipse chasers often seek out rare viewing paths, though Antarctica’s remoteness means far fewer observers than eclipses that sweep across populated regions.

The eclipse is part of a busy 2026 calendar for eclipse watchers. NASA’s eclipse listings note that this annular eclipse will be followed by other major events later in the year, including a total solar eclipse in August 2026 visible along a path that includes parts of the North Atlantic and Europe.