Satellite captures rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse over Antarctica
On February 17, 2026, South Korea's GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellite caught an epic sight: a solar eclipse where the moon covered 96% of the sun, creating a glowing "ring of fire" over Antarctica.
NOAA shared the footage, since almost no one could see it in person—the show played out above icy, remote landscapes.
How many people saw the full effect
Only a handful of scientists at Antarctic research stations got to watch the full effect—Concordia Station saw just over two minutes of annularity, while Russia's Mirny Station had slightly less.
People on cruises and at other southern stations saw only partial phases: partial phases reached up to 92% at some stations (Poland's A.B. Dobrowolski and India's Bharati), while cruises in the Antarctic Peninsula reported partials up to about 21%, so this was definitely an exclusive event.
Real-time views of rare event
Thanks to GEO-KOMPSAT-2A's advanced camera tech—snapping full-disk images every 15 minutes from space—we got real-time looks at this rare eclipse.
The satellite's high-res sensors let us experience a moment most people would never get to see firsthand.