An Annular Solar Eclipse will take place on Saturday, October 14, during which skygazers will get a chance to watch the Ring of Fire as the Sun will take a distinctive shape when it will be partially blocked by the Moon.
What is Annular Solar Eclipse?
An Annular Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon is far from the Earth due to which the Sun will not be entirely covered, leaving a fiery golden ring shining around the dark lunar disk.
When the Moon moves between the Sun and the Earth, and partially conceals the Sun, a dazzling ring becomes visible in the sky.
When the Moon’s apparent size is slightly smaller than that of the Sun, resulting in the Sun forming a ring-like appearance, it’s referred to as an annular eclipse.
Solar eclipse date?
Solar eclipse is on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
Will solar eclipse be visible in India?
The solar eclipse 2023, or Surya Grahan, is going to occur on Ashwina Amavasya.
It will not be visible in India as the Western Hemisphere people can experience this astronomical phenomenon.
According to NASA, the solar eclipse on Saturday will cross North, Central, and South America. Visible in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America, millions of people in the Western Hemisphere can experience this eclipse.
As the eclipse reaches its maximum phase, the sun will look like a ‘ring of fire’.
This spectacle will last for around 5 minutes and 17 seconds visible from off the coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
The table below details the time that the eclipse begins in a city in each state in the US in the path of the annular eclipse.
TABLE
Eye safety during solar eclipse
Since the Sun is not completely blocked by the Moon during an annular solar eclipse, it is not safe to look directly without specialised eye protection designed for solar viewing.
As per NASA, viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
With inputs from agencies