An annular eclipse is a solar eclipse in which the Moon passes centrally in front of the Sun but looks slightly too small to cover it, leaving a bright ring of sunlight: the ring of fire. It happens when the Moon is near the far point of its orbit. The Sun is never fully covered, so eye protection is needed throughout.
Understanding Annular Eclipse
Why the Moon sometimes looks too small
The Moon's distance from Earth ranges from about 356,500 km at perigee to 406,700 km at apogee, so its apparent size changes by about 14%. The Sun's apparent size changes by about 3% through the year. When the Moon looks larger than the Sun, a central eclipse is total; when it looks smaller, it is annular. Its magnitude, the share of the Sun's width it covers, is then just under 1, and the ring left around it ranges from a thin thread of light to a thick band.
The next annular eclipses
Both have their own pages on Orbital Radar, with the path and local times for every city:
| Date | Path of annularity | Longest annularity |
|---|---|---|
| 6 February 2027 | Southern Chile, Argentina (Mar del Plata), the South Atlantic, West Africa (Abidjan, Accra, Lagos) | 7 min 51 s |
| 26 January 2028 | Galápagos, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, then Portugal and southern Spain at sunset | 10 min 27 s |
How to watch an annular eclipse
Every minute of an annular eclipse needs eye protection: certified eclipse glasses, a solar filter over any binoculars, telescope or camera lens, or an indirect method such as a pinhole projector. The light dims and cools when most of the Sun is covered, and under trees the gaps between leaves project hundreds of small rings onto the ground. The eclipse safety guide explains each method.