Hyderabad: Astrophiles will once again get a chance to look at the ‘ring of fire’ due to an annular solar eclipse on February 17, however, those in Hyderabad will miss it.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, space research, and aeronautics research, the event will be visible primarily over Antarctica.
Indian cities including Hyderabad to miss solar eclipse
The eclipse’s annular path starts in the southern Indian Ocean on February 17, 2026, crosses Antarctica’s coastline by the Ronne Ice Shelf, and ends in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The greatest eclipse will occur at 12:11 UT (17:41 IST).
All Indian cities, including Hyderabad, will not be able to witness this annular solar eclipse and the ‘ring of fire’.
Different eclipses
Lunar eclipses, like solar eclipses, occur due to the rotation of the Earth around the Sun and the Moon around the Earth. Due to this rotation, at some point, the Sun, Moon, and Earth come into a linear configuration. Because of this, either the Sun or the Moon becomes invisible from the Earth.
In a solar eclipse, the Sun becomes invisible because its rays will not reach the Earth, as they will be blocked by the Moon. In contrast, in a lunar eclipse, Sun rays will not reach the Moon, as they will be blocked by the Earth.
In an annular solar eclipse, because the Moon is farther from Earth, it appears too small to completely cover the Sun. This results in a bright, glowing ring of sunlight around the Moon’s dark silhouette.
However, enthusiasts in Hyderabad will miss this annular solar eclipse and the ‘ring of fire’.
