A “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse — where the moon doesn’t seem big enough to cover the whole sun — will occur Saturday, October 14.
The moon’s position as a dark disc over the sun will make it appear as if there is a ring of fire surrounding it.
“An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the star,” according to NASA.
While people living on the East Coast will only see a partial solar eclipse October 14, NASA will have a YouTube live stream of the event with live feeds from telescopes and NASA experts along its path.
In this area, a partial eclipse where the moon covers about 30 percent of the sun starts at noon October 14. The maximum eclipse will happen at 1:19 p.m. before the event ends at 2:39 p.m., according to The Washington Post.
According to NASA, people in Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah will be able to see the full annular solar eclipse, depending on the weather. It also will be visible in parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, and Idaho.
Of course, you don’t want to look directly at the sun, even in regular sunglasses, NASA said. Try viewing it through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope.
The next time you will have a chance to see an annular solar eclipse in the contiguous U.S. states will be on February 5, 2046.
But you will have the opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Feature image of an annular solar eclipse courtesy NASA/Bill Dunford
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