On October 2nd, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from parts of the Southern Hemisphere. While South America will experience a partial solar eclipse, some lucky observers will see a “ring of fire” around the moon within a narrow path of annularity. It’s important to note that looking directly at the sun during an annular solar eclipse is never safe without proper solar eclipse glasses designed for solar viewing.
The timing of when to watch the “ring of fire” eclipse depends on the observer’s location. The partial phase of the annular eclipse will begin at 11:43 a.m. EDT (1543 GMT), with the annular phase starting at 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 GMT), and the maximum eclipse occurring at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT). The best time to watch livestreams of the eclipse will be from 3:03 to 3:09 p.m. EDT (1903 to 1909 GMT), where the ring of fire will be visible for up to 6 minutes and 11 seconds from Easter Island/Rapa Nui.
For those interested in following the eclipse, Space.com will have a solar eclipse live blog and various livestreams available. The next opportunity to view the ring of fire will be between 4:18 and 4:31 p.m. EDT (20:18 to 20:31 GMT) from southern Chile and Argentina.
The moon’s shadows during an annular solar eclipse depend on the distance between Earth and the moon. If the moon is large enough in the sky to cover the entire sun, a total solar eclipse occurs. However, on October 2nd, the moon will be slightly farther away in its orbit, resulting in an annular eclipse. This will create a brief ring of light across the sun’s center, visible from a specific path across the Pacific Ocean, Patagonia, and the Atlantic Ocean.
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