On February 17, a stunning photograph of an annular solar eclipse, often referred to as the ‘Ring of Fire,’ was captured from space, visible only in certain areas of Antarctica. The eclipse began at 6:56 PM KST and ended at 11:27 PM KST, with the peak occurring at 9:13 PM KST. The European Space Agency's solar observatory, Proba-2, which orbits Earth at an altitude of 720 kilometers, successfully captured this rare phenomenon from above Antarctica, showcasing its ring-like appearance.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but does not fully cover the Sun due to being positioned at a greater distance from Earth. This results in a visible ring around the Sun. The phenomenon, similar to a total solar eclipse, happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, but because the Moon's orbit is elliptical, such occurrences are less frequent. The last opportunity to view this event from the Korean Peninsula was on May 21, 1948, and the next one will be visible in certain parts of North Korea and on Jeju Island in 2041.

The annular eclipses occur roughly every 1 to 2 years globally, but the occurrence of witnessing one from the same location is strikingly rare, happening every 226 years on average. This year's eclipse was solely observable at Antarctica's Concordia research base and Russia's Mirny Station, with partial views noted in southern Africa and the southernmost points of South America. Following this event, a total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, visible from Greenland, Iceland, the North Atlantic, and northern Spain.