Solar eclipse shadow visible in Meteosat imagery over Tropical Cyclone Gezani
The shadow of the February 17, 2026, annular solar eclipse was captured in Meteosat satellite imagery from 12:00 to 14:10 UTC as it swept across the southwestern Indian Ocean, partially dimming Tropical Cyclone Gezani west of Madagascar.
Solar eclipse shadow crosses the southwestern Indian Ocean at 13:00 UTC on February 17, 2026, partially dimming Tropical Cyclone Gezani. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat, The Watchers
The broad, smooth-edged darkening advanced westward across the Pacific Ocean, uniformly reducing reflected sunlight over both ocean surface and cloud tops.
The annular phase of the eclipse occurred over Antarctica, while a partial eclipse was visible across parts of southern Africa and adjacent ocean regions.
From the perspective of the geostationary Meteosat platform, the Moon’s penumbral shadow appeared as a large, moving dim sector crossing the satellite’s field of view.
The transient reduction in solar illumination did not affect the storm’s structure or intensity. Tropical Cyclone Gezani’s circulation and convective organization remained unchanged before and after the shadow passed.
Solar eclipse shadows can occasionally be detected in visible satellite imagery when illumination decreases sufficiently. In RGB composite products, reduced reflected light can temporarily alter color balance and contrast, creating the appearance of rapid atmospheric change despite the purely radiative origin of the effect.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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