2023-10-11 07:00:00
On Saturday, Oct. 14, an annular or “ring of fire” solar eclipse will sweep across much of the Western Hemisphere.
North and Central America
The darkest part of the moon’s shadow will slide from Oregon to Texas on Saturday morning, then cross the Gulf of Mexico into Central America.
Viewers inside this dark band — the path of annularity — will see a ring of light around the moon for up to 5 minutes. Viewers outside the path of annularity will see the crescent sun of a partial solar eclipse.
The map below shows the path of the eclipse, and the approximate local time when the ring of fire will be visible.
Source: Eclipse data from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
The Western Hemisphere
On Saturday afternoon, the moon’s shadow will reach South America, cross Brazil through the Amazon, then sweep past the Earth’s edge.
The path of the eclipse crosses many time zones, so local timing will vary widely by country and region.
Source: Eclipse data from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Watching the Eclipse
It is never safe to look directly at the sun. Use certified eclipse glasses, make a cardboard pinhole projector or look at the many crescent shadows cast by a tree.
NASA will have a live feed of the eclipse. Or watch a simulated flyover of the United States from the shadow’s perspective.
For viewers in New York City, rain clouds are forecast on Saturday. But if the sky clears, a partial eclipse will be visible from 12:09 p.m. until 2:36 p.m., with a peak around 1:22 p.m.
Viewers in other locations can search by city or click on a world map to determine their local eclipse timing.
Annular Eclipses
The moon travels an elliptical orbit around the Earth, appearing slightly larger or smaller in the sky depending on its distance.
An image of the Earth and moon taken by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft.
NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. If the moon is relatively close to the Earth, it will completely obscure the sun and cause a total eclipse. The next total eclipse visible from the United States will be on April 8, 2024.
An illustration of a solar eclipse.
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
But if the moon is relatively far from the Earth, it will not appear large enough in the sky to fully obscure the sun, and will leave a ring of light — an annular eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse in May, 2012.
NASA
Looking Back at a Sunlit Earth
NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory orbits a stable point between the Earth and the sun, a good location to photograph the far side of the moon when it crosses in front of the Earth.
An image of the moon passing in front of the Earth in 2021.
NASA/NOAA
From space, an annular eclipse looks like a fuzzy dark spot sweeping across the planet.
An image of the moon’s shadow during the June 2020 annular eclipse.
NASA/NOAA
And if clouds obscure the view from Earth, astronauts in the International Space Station might catch a glimpse of the shadow from low Earth orbit.
The moon’s shadow over the Pacific Ocean during the May 2012 annular eclipse.
NASA
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