2026 Annular Solar Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse
2026 February 17

It’s possible that only a few people will view this  eclipse from within the annular zone. It’s a challenge to reach and there are only two inhabited locations within the annular shadow, neither of which are set up to welcome tourists. Viewing from the air is a comfortable approach, but an annular eclipse’s appeal may be limited for such a large expense. 

Almost certainly, there will be cruise ships to tackle the eclipse, as some companies are already taking tourists into these waters, though it may be a considerable diversion to reach the track.

At the worst, a few dozen Russian researchers at Mirnyy and a small number of French/Italian inhabitants at Concordia will record the event for posterity.

Figure 1: Average February cloud amount along the eclipse track. Data: NASA. Track: Xavier Jubier.

The weather’s not so great either. Over the ocean and along the coast, cloud cover is high and sunshine precious. Station measurements in Table 1 show sunshine amounts less than 50% of the maximum possible. Satellite measurements of cloud cover range from a high of 65% on the coast at Mirnyy to around 35 % at the best places in the interior—and interior sites come with some biting temperatures.

But, if you do get there, it will be a great experience.

Table 1: Climatological parameters at selected stations along the eclipse track.

 

Figure 2: Terra satellite image acquired 17 February 2024. Image: NASA.

Posted November 2024
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