Quick answer: The first eclipse of 2027 is an annular solar eclipse on February 6, 2027. Greatest eclipse is at 15:59 UTC at 17°37′ Aquarius, near the Moon's north node. The ring of fire begins over the South Pacific, crosses southern Chile and Argentina, runs across the South Atlantic and ends on the Gulf of Guinea coast of West Africa. The ring lasts up to about 7 minutes 51 seconds over the Atlantic. It is never safe to watch without certified eclipse filters.
The total eclipse of August 12, 2026 was the last solar eclipse of that year. The next one opens 2027. On February 6, 2027 the Moon passes in front of the Sun again, but this time it is too far from Earth to cover the whole disc, so a bright ring stays visible around the dark Moon. That is an annular eclipse, and this one crosses two continents.
When and where to see it
The path of annularity starts over the South Pacific, makes landfall in southern Chile, crosses Argentine Patagonia and leaves the continent over the South Atlantic, where the ring reaches its longest duration. It then arrives in West Africa and ends along the Gulf of Guinea coast, passing over Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
Outside the band, a partial eclipse is visible across most of South America, Antarctica, and western and southern Africa.
Key facts:
- Date: February 6, 2027
- Greatest eclipse: 15:59 UTC (about 16:00 UTC)
- Type: annular solar eclipse (partial over a much wider region)
- Path of annularity: South Pacific, southern Chile, Argentina (Patagonia), South Atlantic, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria
- Maximum annularity: about 7 minutes 51 seconds over the Atlantic
- Position: 17°37′ Aquarius, near the Moon's north node
Why this eclipse matters
An annular eclipse does not bring the darkness of a total one. At maximum the Sun becomes a thin, brilliant ring, and this ring is a long one: almost eight minutes at its best, although that point lies over open water.
The map is the second reason: for readers in South America this is the eclipse to plan for.
The third reason is its place in the year. This is the first of five eclipses in 2027. The 2027 eclipse set continues with a penumbral lunar eclipse on February 20 at 1°58′ Virgo (23:12 UTC), another on July 18 at 25°57′ Capricorn, the total solar eclipse of August 2 at 9°55′ Leo, and a last penumbral lunar eclipse on August 17 at 24°03′ Aquarius. None of the three lunar eclipses is total or partial, so the two solar eclipses carry the year. The 2027 eclipse calendar lists all five in UTC.
Safety
An annular eclipse has no safe phase. Even at maximum, the ring that remains is the Sun's surface, bright enough to damage the eye in seconds. Certified eclipse glasses or a properly filtered solar viewer stay on from first contact to last, inside the path and outside it. Ordinary sunglasses are not enough.
The astrological meaning of an Aquarius eclipse
A note on how to read this section. Astrology here is treated as a symbolic and traditional language, a mirror for reflection rather than a tool for prediction. The astronomy above is fact. The meaning below is interpretation.
In that tradition, a solar eclipse is a New Moon with extra weight. This one falls at 17°37′ Aquarius, and Aquarius has a recognisable set of themes:
- Groups, friendships and the wider community
- Technology and systems
- Ideals and the causes you care about
- Independence
- The long view
The lunar nodes give the eclipse its direction. The north node has been in Aquarius since July 27, 2026, with the south node in Leo. An eclipse near the north node is traditionally read as a beginning or a step forward in the house that holds Aquarius, rather than a release. The contrast with the August 2, 2027 total eclipse is useful: that one falls near the south node in Leo and is usually read as a letting go.
There is also a pattern. The solar eclipses of 2026 and 2027 alternate between Aquarius and Leo: the annular eclipse of February 17, 2026 at 28°50′ Aquarius, the total eclipse of August 12, 2026 near 20° Leo, this one at 17° Aquarius, and the August 2027 total eclipse at 10° Leo. One axis of the birth chart is visited four times in two years. Whatever those two houses govern in your chart has had repeated attention since early 2026.
Who notices it most? Traditionally, people with the natal Sun, Moon, Ascendant or a planet within about 3° of 17° to 18° of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio. Your birth chart shows whether you have a point in that range.
It is a crowded week: on February 8, 2027 Uranus stations direct at 1°41′ Gemini, and on February 9 Mercury stations retrograde at 5°59′ Pisces.
How to work with it
You do not need to be in Patagonia to use the date. A few descriptive prompts:
- Find the house in your chart that holds 17° Aquarius. That is where the tradition places the new beginning.
- Look at your groups: the friendships, teams and communities you belong to. Aquarius eclipses tend to bring the question of where you belong into focus.
- Notice what you were releasing around August 12, 2026 in the opposite house. A north node eclipse often reads as the step that becomes possible once something has been set down.
- For the wider picture of the year, read the 2027 astrology forecast and follow the current sky on the live transits page.
The next eclipse
Two weeks later, on February 20, 2027, a penumbral lunar eclipse falls at 1°58′ Virgo at 23:12 UTC. A penumbral eclipse only dims the Full Moon slightly. The next solar eclipse is the headline event of the year: the total eclipse of August 2, 2027 at 9°55′ Leo, with up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality near Luxor in Egypt.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the annular solar eclipse of 2027?
On February 6, 2027. Greatest eclipse is at 15:59 UTC, about 16:00 UTC, with the New Moon at 17°37′ Aquarius. The ring reaches South America first and West Africa in the late afternoon.
Where is the February 2027 eclipse visible?
The ring of fire is visible from a band that begins over the South Pacific, crosses southern Chile and Argentine Patagonia, runs across the South Atlantic and ends on the Gulf of Guinea coast in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. A partial eclipse is visible across most of South America, Antarctica, and western and southern Africa.
What sign is it in?
The eclipse falls at 17°37′ Aquarius, near the Moon's north node. It is the first solar eclipse after the total eclipse of August 12, 2026 in Leo, and the next one is on August 2, 2027 at 9°55′ Leo.
Is it safe to watch an annular eclipse?
Not without protection. The Moon never covers the Sun completely, so the ring stays dangerously bright at every phase. Certified eclipse glasses or a filtered solar viewer are needed from start to finish on February 6, 2027, inside and outside the path.