A European Space Agency satellite has captured stunning images of a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse that was almost completely invisible to observers on Earth. The event, which occurred on February 17, 2026, provided a unique celestial spectacle from the vantage point of low-Earth orbit.
The Proba-2 satellite witnessed the annular solar eclipse as the moon passed directly in front of the sun. Because of the moon's position in its orbit, it appeared slightly smaller than the sun, leaving a brilliant ring of sunlight visible around its dark silhouette.
Key Takeaways
- ESA's Proba-2 satellite documented a 'ring of fire' annular solar eclipse on February 17, 2026.
- On Earth, the full eclipse was only visible from remote locations in Antarctica.
- The satellite's unique orbit allowed it to observe the eclipse four separate times from different angles.
- The images were captured in extreme ultraviolet light, revealing details of the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.
A Celestial Event for a Select Few
While the Proba-2 satellite enjoyed an unparalleled view, the experience on the ground was far more limited. The path of the full annular eclipse traced across some of the most isolated regions of Antarctica. This meant the primary audience for the complete 'ring of fire' phenomenon consisted of a small number of scientists at research outposts and the continent's penguin colonies.
For the rest of the world, the event was either a partial eclipse or not visible at all. Observers located in the southern tips of Chile and Argentina, as well as parts of southern Africa, were able to see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon appeared to take a 'bite' out of the sun.
Understanding an Annular Solar Eclipse
An annular solar eclipse is a specific type of solar eclipse that occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth. However, it happens when the moon is at or near its farthest point from our planet, a position known as apogee. Because of this increased distance, the moon's apparent size in the sky is not large enough to completely obscure the sun, resulting in the characteristic 'ring of fire'. This differs from a total solar eclipse, where the moon is closer to Earth and can block the sun's entire face.
The Unique Vantage Point of Proba-2
The Proba-2 satellite offered a perspective that no Earth-based observer could match. Its mission is to monitor the sun, and its specific orbit provided an exceptional opportunity to study this eclipse. Unlike a stationary observer on Earth who sees the eclipse just once, Proba-2's rapid journey around the planet allowed it to cross through the eclipse's shadow multiple times.
During its orbits on February 17, the spacecraft passed through the eclipse zone four times. This provided scientists with multiple data sets and views of the event as it unfolded from different geometric angles. The most striking view was captured at 6:31 a.m. EST (1131 GMT), showing a near-perfect ring as the moon occulted more than 93% of the sun's disk.
Did You Know? The Proba-2 satellite orbits the Earth approximately 14.5 times per day in a sun-synchronous orbit, which keeps it constantly in sunlight and provides an uninterrupted view of the sun.
Advanced Imaging Reveals Solar Details
The images were taken using Proba-2's SWAP (Sun Watcher using APS detectors and image Processing) instrument. This specialized camera views the sun in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, which is invisible to the human eye. This technique allows scientists to look past the sun's bright surface and observe its turbulent outer atmosphere, known as the corona.
By capturing the eclipse in EUV, the resulting images not only show the dark silhouette of the moon but also the glowing, superheated plasma of the corona that forms the fiery ring. This data helps researchers better understand solar activity and the dynamics of the sun's atmosphere, which can influence space weather that affects satellites and technology on Earth.
The ability to capture the same event from multiple perspectives in a short period is invaluable for solar physicists. It provides a more complete, three-dimensional understanding of the structures within the sun's corona.
Implications for Solar Science
While annular eclipses are visually spectacular, they also serve as important scientific opportunities. When the moon blocks the majority of the sun's intense light, it allows instruments both in space and on the ground to study the fainter corona and chromosphere—the regions of the sun's atmosphere that are typically washed out by its brightness.
The data collected by Proba-2 during this event will be analyzed by scientists at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, which operates the satellite for the European Space Agency. These observations contribute to a growing body of knowledge about our star, helping to improve models of space weather and predict solar events like flares and coronal mass ejections.
For most of us, this 'ring of fire' was an event that passed by unseen. Yet, thanks to our robotic observers in orbit, it was not unobserved. The images provide a powerful reminder of the complex celestial mechanics at play in our solar system and the incredible technology that allows us to witness them from afar.