A chance to catch one of the most anticipated skywatching events of the year is rapidly approaching.
On Oct. 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America.
Also known as a "ring of fire" eclipse, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth, according to NASA. Because the Moon is farther from Earth than it is during a total solar eclipse, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the star. Instead, it leaves a bright ring of Sun visible at the peak of the eclipse.
It will begin in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PT and end in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CT. What you can see during an annular eclipse depends on the weather and the location from which you view it.
You need a clear view of the Sun and Moon to see the eclipse. However, even with cloud cover, NASA said the eerie daytime darkness associated with eclipses is still noticeable.
To see the "ring of fire" effect, you must view it from somewhere along the narrow path of annularity. It will last between 1 and 5 minutes for most places, depending on where you view it from. NASA said the "ring of fire" will be visible in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, as well as some parts of California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona.
Outside the path of annularity, people across the U.S., Puerto Rico and parts of Alaska and Hawaii will have the chance to see a partial solar eclipse, when the Moon covers part of the Sun without creating the "ring of fire" effect, NASA said.
The annular eclipse will continue on to Central America, passing over Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Panama, according to NASA. In South America, the eclipse will travel through Colombia before ending off the coast of Natal, Brazil, in the Atlantic Ocean.
Because the Sun is never completely covered, all eclipse-watchers on Oct. 14 will need to use special eye protection or an indirect viewing method to safely watch the eclipse.
NASA recommends using solar viewing glasses ("eclipse glasses") or a handheld solar viewer, both of which are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses. You can also use an indirect viewing method such as a pinhole projector, which has a small opening and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface.