Some US cities are over the moon as Saturday’s annular solar, or “ring of fire” eclipse draws closer, and are gearing up to welcome a rush of visitors.
What is an annular total eclipse?
Unlike a total solar eclipse, the sun will not be fully obscured by the moon in the annular solar eclipse – which occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth while at its farthest point from Earth.
The US space agency Nasa: says “Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the star. This creates a ‘ring of fire’ effect in the sky.”
Where will the ring of fire be visible?
Those in the “path of annularity” between Oregon and Texas have front-row seats to the celestial event. The event will begin at 9.13am PT along the Oregon coast and end in Texas at just before noon CT. The ring of fire will not be visible to those not in the path, but a partial solar eclipse can be seen in all of the continental US.
Oregon, which also got prime viewing of 2017’s total solar eclipse, is preparing for more crowds of astronomy lovers. The eclipse will first be visible along the state’s coastline and the camping grounds of its many state parks – such as Dexter state recreation site and Shore Acres state park – are expecting to fill up, according to the parks and recreation department.
Albuquerque, New Mexico is also located on the path to get a full view of the ring of fire. The city has public viewing opportunities at their Open Space Visitor Center and the University of New Mexico, hosted by the physics and astronomy department.
San Antonio – the largest US city in the eclipse’s path – has established several viewing locations throughout the city and is offering residents and those passing through special safety glasses at public libraries. In a press release, the so-called Alamo city says: “The partial eclipse will begin at 10.23am and reach its maximum coverage at 11.54am.”
A partial view of the eclipse will be visible in certain areas of Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska, though the ring of fire effect can’t be seen there, Nasa officials said. Further south, Mexico and other central and south American countries also have opportunities to witness the ring of fire.
How to prepare for the eclipse
Sunglasses do not provide sufficient eye protection, even for a partial eclipse. Nasa warns anyone trying to catch a glimpse of the eclipse to wear special protective eyewear and to not make the mistake Donald Trump made in 2017, which was to stare directly at the sun.
The Guardian asked the former president if he had any plans to watch Saturday’s eclipse, but his campaign declined a request for comment.
