Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Feb. 17 ‘Ring of Fire’ Eclipse Centers on Antarctica, With Partial Views in Southern Africa and South America

Exact UTC timings are published, with most people relying on livestreams or ISO‑certified protection for safe viewing.

Overview

  • The annular eclipse begins about 09:56 UTC, reaches annularity near 12:12 UTC, and ends around 14:27 UTC, according to TimeAndDate.
  • Maximum annularity lasts roughly 2 minutes 20 seconds, with the ring visible only along a narrow track over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
  • Partial phases are expected in southern Argentina and Chile and in parts of southern Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho and Madagascar.
  • The event is not visible from India or most of Asia, and looking at the Sun requires ISO 12312-2–compliant filters or indirect projection.
  • A total solar eclipse on August 12 will cross northern Russia, eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, with a speculative chance of aurora or bright meteors during totality if conditions align.