00:00The first solar eclipse of 2026 will happen at the bottom of the world.
00:03On February 17th, the sun will transform into a glowing ring of fire over Antarctica.
00:08This rare event is called an annular solar eclipse, and the moon will be a bit farther from Earth,
00:13so instead of completely covering the sun, it will block the center,
00:16leaving a fiery halo of sunlight glowing around the edges.
00:19The moment of maximum eclipse begins at 7.12 a.m. Eastern and lasts just 1 minute and 52 seconds,
00:25so basically blink and you'll miss it.
00:26While the path is confined to the icy expanse of Antarctica,
00:30partial views will be visible from South America, southeastern Africa,
00:33and across parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
00:36So if you miss this eclipse, don't worry.
00:38Skywatchers will get a better chance to catch this phenomenon next month in the U.S.
00:42The only total lunar eclipse of the year will turn the moon blood red on March 2nd and 3rd,
00:48with totality visible on the west coast.
Comments