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Tuesday’s first solar eclipse of the year will be an annular event visible from Antarctica, according to astronomers and eclipse guidance for skywatchers. The eclipse will be seen as the moon passes between Earth and the sun in a way that leaves only a thin, ring-shaped sliver of the sun visible.
Lowell Observatory astronomer Joe Llama described the spectacle in a quote about wildlife on the continent. He said, “The penguins down there are going to have a great show,” in comments shared as people prepare for the eclipse.
In addition to the Antarctica viewing window, smaller parts of the eclipse can be seen as a partial solar eclipse from other locations, depending on where the moon’s shadow misses Earth. Clear skies permitting, the partial eclipse is described as visible from the tips of Chile and Argentina and from southeastern Africa, including Madagascar, Lesotho and South Africa.
The eclipse reflects the geometry of the sun, moon and Earth aligning in a specific way. Solar eclipses happen when the moon casts a shadow on Earth that can partially or totally block the sun’s light, and people can see the eclipse only from locations inside the path of that shadow.
For an annular eclipse—often called a “ring of fire”—the moon appears farther from Earth in its orbit, so it does not fully cover the sun. During an annular event, a thin sliver of the sun remains visible, described by Llama as a result of “The sun essentially gets its core taken out.” Emily Rice, an astrophysicist at the City University of New York, called the phenomenon “this beautiful coincidence between the size and the distance of the moon and the sun.”
Viewers are urged to use proper eye protection because direct observation can be harmful even when most of the sun is blocked. The guidance says eclipse glasses should indicate they comply with ISO 12312-2, noting that fake suppliers can also list compliance on products, and says regular sunglasses or binoculars are not protective enough.
For people without certified glasses, the report also points to indirect viewing options. One method is making a pinhole projector using household materials, while another involves using a colander or cheese grater to project images of the eclipse onto the ground.
The eclipse is expected to be one of several sky events spaced through the year, but total solar eclipses occur less frequently. The report says two partial eclipses happened last year, and that the last total solar eclipse swept across North America in 2024, while a separate total solar eclipse is scheduled for August for skygazers in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and part of Portugal, with additional regions in Europe, Africa and North America also expected to see a partial eclipse.