Solar Eclipse Today Live Updates: First Surya Grahan Of 2026 To Begin In 3 Hours

Surya Graham Time Today, Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse Live Updates: Skywatchers across parts of the Southern Hemisphere will witness the first solar eclipse of 2026 today- an annular eclipse, often called the “ring of fire,” where the Moon glides across the face of the Sun but leaves behind a blazing circle of light. Unlike a total eclipse, the Sun is never fully covered. Instead, the Moon appears slightly smaller because it is farther away from Earth, creating a luminous halo.

This celestial alignment happens because the Moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle but an ellipse. During this event, the Moon will be near apogee- its farthest point from Earth- making its apparent size about 97 per cent of the Sun’s diameter. The result is a dramatic cosmic silhouette: a dark disc perfectly centred inside a ring of fire.

Surya Grahan 2026 Date And Timings?

The annular solar eclipse will unfold over several hours on January 26, 2026. The partial eclipse will begin at 3:27 PM IST, followed by the start of the annular phase at 5:14 PM IST over Antarctica. The eclipse will reach its maximum at 5:43 PM IST, when about 92.7 per cent of the Sun will be covered and will end at 7:58 PM IST. In some locations, such as Antarctica’s Concordia research station, the ring-of-fire phase will last just over two minutes.

Will Solar Eclipse Today Visible In India?

The solar eclipse will not be visible in India. This is because the Sun will set before the eclipse begins from the Indian subcontinent.

When, Where And How To Watch ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Today?

The path of annularity is extremely narrow and will pass mainly over Antarctica. However, a partial solar eclipse will be visible from southern parts of Chile and Argentina, parts of South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar as well as several islands in the Indian Ocean.

Major Solar Eclipses In 2026: Full List And Dates

Skywatchers have multiple celestial events to look forward to in 2026:

January 26, 2026 – Annular Solar Eclipse (“Ring of Fire”)

August 12, 2026 – Total Solar Eclipse (visible in parts of Europe, Greenland, and Iceland)

In addition, a total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026, will offer another dramatic display, when Earth’s shadow completely covers the Moon.