Today’s partial solar eclipse will be visible from SA. Here’s what you need to know!
South Africa (17 February 2026) – A partial solar eclipse will be visible from large parts of the country today. That’s when the moon moves between the earth and the sun, partially covering it and creating an interesting spectacle to look up at.
“During a partial solar eclipse, the Moon, Sun, and Earth do not align in a perfectly straight line and the Moon casts only the outer part of its shadow, known as the penumbra, onto Earth,” shares the South African National Space Agency (SANSA).
The eclipse begins at 14:01 SAST, reaches its maximum at 14:23 SAST (with around 5% solar coverage in the Western Cape), and wraps up at 15:24 SAST. The full event lasts about 1 hour and 23 minutes.
For those who’d rather not squint at the sky (and please don’t look directly at the sun!), the SANSA will be streaming it live on its YouTube channel using its newly acquired 60mm white-light solar telescope.
A gentle but important reminder to never look directly at the sun without proper eclipse glasses or certified solar filters. Regular sunglasses are not safe for this.
According to SANSA, the next partial lunar eclipse in Cape Town will be on 28 August 2026.
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