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Hugo Tsai

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When, Where and How to Watch the Annular Solar Eclipse

The so-called “ring of fire” will grace the skies of the Western Hemisphere on Saturday.

 

This weekend, millions of people will feast their eyes on the latest celestial marvel: an annular solar eclipse gracing the skies of the Western Hemisphere.

The “ring of fire” eclipse will begin in Oregon on Saturday morning, sweep across the American Southwest and exit the United States through Texas. It will cut through the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and cross a number of Central American countries before reaching South America. There, it will pass through Colombia and Brazil, and end its run over the Atlantic Ocean.

We’ll say this twice in this article: Remember to never look directly at a partial eclipse — wear protective eyewear or use an alternative viewing method to protect your eyes.

What is an annular solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned in just the right spot between the sun and the Earth to block the sun from our view. When this happens, part of the Earth bathes in lunar shadow. It is a natural coincidence that the sun and the moon appear to be the same size in the sky. Though the sun is roughly 400 times as big as the moon, it is also about 400 times as far away from Earth.