Overview
- An annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17 peaks near 12:11–12:12 UTC with roughly 96% solar coverage, featuring a brief ring of fire mainly over Antarctica with partial views in southern South America and southern Africa.
- The Feb. 17 event’s key UTC phases are widely published: partial start 09:56, annularity 11:42, maximum ~12:11–12:12, annularity end 12:41, and partial end 14:27, with online livestreams available outside the path.
- NASA and astronomy groups reiterate that solar viewing requires ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses or proper solar filters and warn against looking through unfiltered optics.
- A six‑planet apparent alignment on Feb. 28 is expected shortly after sunset, with Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn visible to the naked eye while Uranus and Neptune generally need binoculars or a small telescope.
- A total lunar eclipse on Mar. 3 will tint the Moon red across Pacific‑facing regions, though coverage notes conflicting totality estimates—about 58 minutes versus roughly 82 minutes—that warrant checking official ephemerides.