- The annular solar eclipse of 17 February 2026 reaches its greatest phase at 12:12 UTC.
- Its magnitude is 0.963 and the annular phase lasts up to 2 min 20 s.
- It is visible from southern Argentina and Chile, southern Africa, Antarctica.
- The annular phase is seen from Antarctica.
- It is not visible from Lithuania.
- The eclipse belongs to Saros series 121.
What time is the eclipse?
The moment of greatest eclipse is the same everywhere on Earth; only the clock time differs. At a given place the local maximum of a solar eclipse can differ from it by up to a couple of hours, because the Moon’s shadow travels across the Earth.
| Time zone | Greatest eclipse |
|---|---|
| UTC (Universal Time) | 12:12 |
| Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki | 14:12 |
| Moscow | 15:12 |
| London | 12:12 |
| New York | 07:12 |
Where is the eclipse visible?
The eclipse was visible from southern Argentina and Chile, southern Africa, Antarctica. The annular phase was seen only from a narrow path across Antarctica; everywhere else in the area the eclipse was partial.
Is it visible from Europe and the Baltic states?
The eclipse is not visible from Europe. The eclipse is not visible from Lithuania or the other Baltic states.
How to watch it safely
An annular eclipse is never safe to watch without a filter: the ring of sunlight stays bright throughout. Use eclipse glasses or a solar filter that meets ISO 12312-2, or a pinhole projection.
The Saros series
This eclipse belongs to Saros series 121. Eclipses of one series repeat every 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours, and each one falls about a third of the way around the globe to the west of the previous one.
All eclipses of 2026
| Date | Eclipse | Greatest eclipse (UTC) | From Europe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2026 | Annular solar eclipse | 12:12 | not visible |
| 3 March 2026 | Total lunar eclipse | 11:34 | not visible |
| 12 August 2026 | Total solar eclipse | 17:46 | visible |
| 28 August 2026 | Partial lunar eclipse | 04:13 | visible |
Questions people ask
What time is the annular solar eclipse on 17 February 2026?
Greatest eclipse is at 12:12 UTC, which is 12:12 in London and 07:12 in New York.
Where is it visible?
It is visible from southern Argentina and Chile, southern Africa, Antarctica. The annular phase is seen from Antarctica.
Can it be seen from Lithuania?
The eclipse is not visible from Lithuania or the other Baltic states.
How long does it last?
The annular phase lasts up to 2 min 20 s on the central line. The partial phases before and after it last about an hour each.
Is it safe to look at it?
Only through eclipse glasses or a solar filter that meets ISO 12312-2. Sunglasses are not safe. A total eclipse can be watched without a filter only during the brief total phase.
When is the next annular solar eclipse?
The next annular solar eclipse is on 6 February 2027, visible from South America, Antarctica, western and southern Africa.
- Fred Espenak, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: Solar Eclipses 2021–2030 and Lunar Eclipses 2021–2030 (eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov).
- Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms, 2nd ed., 1998.
- American Astronomical Society: How to view a solar eclipse safely; ISO 12312-2 filters for direct observation of the Sun.
- timeanddate.com: local circumstances of eclipses for Vilnius.
Dates, types, magnitudes and durations are taken from the NASA eclipse tables and checked row by row. NASA gives the time of greatest eclipse in Terrestrial Dynamical Time; this page converts it to UTC and shows it to the minute. The countdown is recalculated every day.