Be careful not to fall into this burning “ring of fire” without protection.
Each continental state in the union plus Alaska will be treated to a celestial spectacle as the sun, Earth, and Moon, will align to create, as NASA described it, a “ring of fire” in the sky.
During the annual solar event, the Moon will block out the Sun’s interior light so that only a thin outline of its far exterior will glow, according to the space agency, which will live stream the entire star-stunning event.
This solar eclipse will be highly visible in the southwest beginning at 9:13 a.m. PDT (12:13 EST) and run directly over Oregon, a smidge of northern California and southwest Idaho, then Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and, finally, hits Texas around 12:03 p.m. CT (1:03 EST).
The event continues through to viewers in Central America through Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama before reaching Columbia and Brazil.
The East Coast shouldn’t fret, though, as 20% of the eclipse will be visible in much of New York, New Jersey, southwest Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania plus Delaware and Maryland.
A sequel eclipse next year on April 8th is much more promising for the bread basket states and New England, at which point NASA projects the Sun will blackout directly over upstate and western New York along with northern Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of Canada.
After that though, American Earthlings will need to wait until August 23, 2044 for another total solar eclipse.
For those itching to check out the upcoming eclipse in person, NASA stresses to “always wear eclipse glasses or use a solar filter when looking at an un-eclipsed, partially eclipsed or annularly eclipsed Sun.”
Creating a pinhole projector is another viable option as well.
“When the Moon completely blocks the visible surface of the Sun during a total solar eclipse, viewers can remove their eclipse glasses,” NASA advises. “A total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where eclipse glasses can be momentarily removed.”
It’s also common for these events to wake up nocturnal wildlife, the space program noted.
“And non-nocturnal wildlife might think it’s time to head to sleep!”