An extraordinary celestial spectacle unfolded on Tuesday, February 17, as an annular solar eclipse carved its path across the frozen expanse of Antarctica — where, quite literally, more penguins than people were positioned to witness the dramatic “ring of fire”.
The eclipse began over the remote southern continent, with the annular phase peaking at 7:12 am EST (1212 GMT). During this phase, the moon covered the centre of the sun but left a bright rim of light visible around its edges.
An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth while being slightly farther away from our planet in its elliptical orbit. Because it appears smaller in the sky, it cannot completely block the sun, unlike during a total solar eclipse. The result is a glowing ring of sunlight — a striking halo that gives rise to the term “ring of fire”.
While the full annular phase was confined largely to Antarctica, observers in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America experienced a partial solar eclipse, with the moon covering a portion of the sun.
For Singapore readers hoping to catch a glimpse, this particular eclipse was not visible from the island. Singapore’s equatorial location means that eclipses occurring far in the Southern Hemisphere often do not extend into Southeast Asia.
However, Singapore does periodically experience partial solar eclipses, and skywatchers here can look forward to future events when orbital alignments are more favourable.
The next major eclipse expected to draw large global audiences will be a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. It will be visible in Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, offering up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds of totality — when the sun is completely obscured by the moon. The celestial event will occur just a day before the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, creating a remarkable week for astronomy enthusiasts.
Although Singaporeans missed out on this icy “ring of fire”, today’s eclipse serves as a reminder of the dynamic movements of our solar system — and the rare moments when the sun, moon and Earth align to transform the daytime sky.
