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The "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse is a rare astronomical event that will be visible from eight US states on October 14, 2023.
⭐️This will be the first time such a celestial view will be available in North America. ⭐️
An annular solar eclipse, also known as the "ring of fire," is different from a total solar eclipse. The rare phenomenon occurs when the moon appears to cross the sun while being slightly farther from the earth in its elliptical orbit—resulting in a blacked-out circle and fiery rim (hence the name!).
An annular solar eclipse can only occur under specific conditions. The moon must be in its first lunar phase, and it must also be farther away from Earth in its elliptical orbit, appearing smaller in the sky than it usually would. Because the moon appears smaller under these circumstances, it cannot fully block out the sun, forming what's called a "ring of fire" or "ring of light".
This year's annular solar eclipse will be visible from eight states in the United States: Oregon, Northern California, Nevada, Utah, northeastern Arizona, southwestern Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. To view the eclipse, stargazers must be in the 125-mile path of annularity. If you're not on the path (which stretches from Oregon to Texas) you'll only see a partial eclipse. The closer you are to the center of the path, the longer the ring of fire will last. This is because the Moon’s shadow is not big enough to engulf the entire planet, so the shadow is always limited to a certain area. This area changes during the eclipse because the Moon and Earth are in constant motion: Earth continuously rotates around its axis while it orbits the Sun, and the Moon orbits Earth. So, being closer to the center of the path means that you will be able to see a larger and longer-lasting ring of fire.
The "Ring of Fire" solar eclipse is a rare and beautiful event that is not to be missed. If you're unable to reach the path, you can watch the rare phenomenon on several webcasts that are streaming the event. So mark your calendars for October 14th and get ready to witness this amazing celestial spectacle!
Source: Conversation with Bing, 8/14/2023
Image source: 1001slide/Getty Images/IStockphoto/IStockphoto
