Baku: The first eclipse of 2026 will be an annular solar eclipse, commencing at 13:56 on February 17 and concluding at 18:27, as reported by the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory to APA. This astronomical event's maximum phase is set to occur at 16:12 and will predominantly be observable over Antarctica.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the eclipse will be visible in various locations including Argentina, Madagascar, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Chile, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Mauritius, R©union, Lesotho, and several other countries. The visibility of an eclipse depends on the observer's location, and in this case, it will not be observable from Azerbaijan.

Eclipses occur when the Earth or the Moon obstructs the Sun's light by passing in front of it. This happens due to the angle between the Earth's and Moon's orbital planes, which is 5°09'. For a solar eclipse to occur, the new moon phase must coincide with the orbital nodes, and the apparent angular sizes of the Moon and the Sun in the sky must be nearly identical.

During a solar eclipse, the Moon positions itself between the Sun and the Earth, blocking the Sun's rays from reaching the Earth. Consequently, the Moon's shadow is cast over certain areas of the Earth's surface, making the eclipse observable. Solar eclipses only happen during the new moon phase.

Solar eclipses are categorized as total, annular, partial, or hybrid based on the relative positioning of the Moon, Earth, and Sun. The total phase of a solar eclipse has a maximum duration of roughly seven minutes due to the limited area of the Earth's surface that the Moon's shadow covers.

As an observer transitions from the shadow into the penumbra, the Sun's disk covered by the Moon diminishes, resulting in a partial solar eclipse instead of a total one. The extent of coverage during a partial eclipse is also determined by the observer's geographical location.

It is important to note that the upcoming eclipse will not be visible from Azerbaijan. The next eclipse to follow will be a total lunar eclipse on March 3.