The “ring of fire” eclipse—also known as an annular solar eclipse—is a month away, and although Hawaii is the only U.S. state that will be within the partial path of viewing, parts of Chile and Argentina will see the entire eclipse, while other South American countries will also be in the partial or full path.
A ring of fire eclipse.
An annular solar eclipse will occur in October, and it’s also called a “ring of fire” eclipse because it happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth but does not completely obscure the sun, leaving the sun’s visible outer edge—also called the ring of fire, or annulus—around the moon.
Like total solar eclipses, ring of fire eclipses only happen when there’s a new moon and the moon, the sun and Earth are in a straight—or nearly straight—line; but unlike total solar eclipses, annular eclipses occur when the moon is near its farthest point from Earth—called the apogee—which allows the ring of fire to be visible, according to NASA.
Ring of fire eclipses go through phases, which can take over three hours to complete, but the actual ring of fire can last anywhere between a few seconds to over 12 minutes.
This year’s ring of fire eclipse will have a path that goes through the South Pacific Ocean, the extreme southwestern Atlantic Ocean and South America, including Chile, Argentina and Easter Island—but the only U.S. state that will see the eclipse is Hawaii, and only the partial eclipse will be visible.
The eclipse will happen on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Just like April’s total solar eclipse, the ring of fire eclipse will occur in phases:
A partial path of visibility will cross through Hawaii. The best cities in the state to see the partial ring of fire eclipse are Hilo, Honolulu, Kailua-Kona, Lihue, Napili-Honokowai, Wailuku and Waipahu, according to astronomy database Time and Date. Here’s a list of other areas in South America and the Pacific where the partial or full eclipse will be visible:
Full and partial eclipse
Partial eclipse only
The eclipse cannot be viewed safely at any point using the naked eye, requiring eclipse glasses throughout the duration. Unlike the total solar eclipse, in which there’s a moment when the sun is completely blocked by the moon and it’s safe to take solar glasses off, the ring of fire means at least some part of the sun will be visible during the entirety. This means solar glasses that meet international standards must be worn at all times, according to NASA. It’s important to check the glasses are free from scratches, dents and other marks as these can diminish the glasses’ protection. Camera lenses, phone cameras, telescopes or binoculars must have special-purpose solar filters in order to protect eyes from damage.
Everything To Know About The Total Solar Eclipse—Including Map And Path Tracker (Forbes)