First solar eclipse of 2026: When and where to watch

Bangla Press Desk: The first solar eclipse of 2026 will occur on Tuesday (17 February). People around the world are eagerly awaiting the annual celestial event, popularly known as the “Ring of Fire”.

The phenomenon occurs when the Earth, the Sun and the Moon align, with the Moon passing between the Sun and the Earth and casting a shadow on the planet.

As per NASA, this is the time when the moon is at or near its farthest point from the Earth. It must be noted that the Moon does not cover the Sun entirely and looks smaller as it is far away from the planet. This makes it appear like a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk, thus creating a thin, brighter ring around the Moon, which is called the "Ring of Fire".

Solar Eclipse 2026: Date and Time

The eclipse will begin at 07:01 UTC on Tuesday, Forbes reported.

It will be formed for up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds, while the Moon is expected to eclipse 96% of the Sun's centre, according to Space.com.

Will it be visible from Bangladesh and India?

No, people in Bangladesh and India will not be able to witness the event. This is because the alignment occurs in the Southern hemisphere, when the Sun remains below the horizon in the South Asian region.

The maximum eclipse will be visible in Antarctica, especially from research stations like Concordia and Mirny. In the Southern African region, countries like South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will experience partial visibility.

"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 is set up to welcome tourists," Jay Anderson, an eclipse meteorologist, wrote on his website, Eclipsophile.com.

Also in South America, parts of Argentina and Chile will get to see it.

.Source: daily Sun

BP/SP