Coming Soon: An Eclipse!
On October 14, part of the world will experience an annular solar eclipse.
© Matthew Starling—iStock/Getty Images Plus
During an annular solar eclipse, the only part of the Sun that’s visible is a “ring of fire.”
On October 14, 2023, part of the world will experience an annular solar eclipse. The Sun and the Moon will line up in the sky to form a “ring of fire.”
An annular eclipse is different from a total solar eclipse. During a total eclipse, the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, totally blocking the Sun. During an annular eclipse, the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun but is at or near its farthest point from Earth. Since the Moon is far from Earth, it’s a bit smaller in the sky, so it doesn’t block the Sun completely. Instead, a thin ring of sunlight is visible around the Moon—what some people call a ring of fire.
The October 14 annular eclipse can be seen in parts of Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It can also be seen in parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. A partial solar eclipse will be visible in other places, with less of the Sun blocked.
In the United States, the annular eclipse will first be visible in part of Oregon at 9:13 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and last be visible in part of Texas at 12:03 p.m. Central Daylight Time. The eclipse will then move over Mexico and Central America and, finally, South America.
It’s not safe to look at the Sun during an eclipse. If you are in a place where you can view the eclipse, wear eclipse glasses or solar viewers. Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing an eclipse.
