If the breathtaking “ring of fire” eclipse that lit up the skies over South America on Wednesday ignited your curiosity, you won’t have to wait long for more celestial wonders. Although the next “ring of fire” won’t occur until 2026, several solar eclipses are set to captivate sky-watchers in the near future.
Annular solar eclipses, like the one seen recently, occur when the moon passes between Earth and the sun but is too far from our planet to completely block the sun. This creates the stunning “ring of fire” effect. While such a spectacle won’t return for a few years, other eclipses will offer exciting views of the sun and moon’s dance.
In 2025, two partial solar eclipses will occur. The first, on March 29, will be visible in parts of the northeastern United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and parts of Europe and northwest Africa. The second partial eclipse, on September 21, will be visible from New Zealand, Fiji, parts of Australia, and Antarctica.
Looking ahead to February 17, 2026, an annular solar eclipse will dazzle observers in Antarctica, with partial views possible from southern Africa and South America. Later that year, on August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will cross Greenland, Iceland, Russia, Spain, and Portugal, plunging regions into temporary darkness. A partial eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe, Africa, and North America.
As always, safety is paramount when viewing solar eclipses. Use certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer to protect your eyes from harmful rays. For those using telescopes, binoculars, or cameras, make sure to equip them with solar filters to observe safely. Never look directly at the sun through any optical device, even while wearing eclipse glasses, as concentrated solar rays can cause severe eye damage.
Eclipses around the world
For globe-trotters eager to see more events, below are dates for other upcoming total solar eclipses and where their paths will traverse:
July 22, 2028: Australia and New Zealand
November 25, 2030: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Australia
March 20, 2034: Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China
September 2, 2035: China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan
July 13, 2037: Australia and New Zealand
December 26, 2038: Australia and New Zealand
April 30, 2041: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia
April 20, 2042: Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines
April 9, 2043: Russia
