The moon will almost completely cover the sun in the first solar eclipse of the year, leaving only a blazing ring of Earth's star visible Thursday morning (June 10).
NASA said a partial solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon takes a circular "bite" out of the sun, will be visible in greater portions of the Northern Hemisphere.
CARBONDALE, IL - AUGUST 21: The moon eclipses the sun above the campus of Southern Illinois University on August 21, 2017, in Carbondale, Illinois. Although much of it was covered by a cloud, with approximately 2 minutes 40 seconds of totality, the area in Southern Illinois experienced the longest duration of totality during the eclipse. Millions of people are expected to watch as the eclipse cuts a path of totality 70 miles wide across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina on August 21.
What is an Annular Solar Eclipse?
CNBC (via MSN) said a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes squarely between the Earth and the sun, covering the sun's light completely. However, the moon does not entirely hide the sun during an annular solar eclipse, leaving a bright ring of sunlight visible.
An annular eclipse can only happen under certain circumstances. First, the moon must be in its first lunar phase and farther away from Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it appear smaller in the sky than usual.
Because the moon seems smaller in these conditions, it cannot wholly hide the sun out, resulting in a "ring of fire" or "ring of light."
"As the pair rises higher in the sky, the silhouette of the Moon will gradually shift off the sun to the lower left, allowing more of the Sun to show until the eclipse ends," NASA said per Comicbook.
Annular Solar Eclipses are Rare Spectacles
An annular eclipse's brilliant "ring of fire" is only visible for a brief period of time, ranging from a fraction of a second to more than 12 minutes. The annular solar eclipse of last year lasted a little under 90 seconds.
You could still be able to see a band of light form around the moon's edge, then fade away over three hours, depending on your vantage point.
Total solar eclipses happen every five to six months on average. Still, annular solar eclipses rarely happen once or twice a year. This is because they necessitate a specific set of conditions: The sun, moon, and Earth must all be aligned to begin. The moon must also be nearing its apogee, or farthest point from Earth, which is around 252,700 miles distant.
ALSO READ: Could Solar Explosions Spark Northern Lights in Several States This Total Lunar Eclipse?
The moon's shadow carves a path over the Earth during any solar eclipse. The umbra, or the darkest part of the moon's shadow, hits the Earth during a total solar eclipse. However, during an annular solar eclipse, when the moon is farther away from Earth, our planet passes through the antumbra, a less dark section of the moon's shadow.
How to Watch the Annular Solar Eclipse
The new moon occurs on Thursday, June 10, at 6:53 a.m. ET, when it will obscure the sun. Look to the east to view it.
The eclipse's narrow path will be completely visible in regions of Canada, Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, and Siberia. It will be partially visible for much of the rest of northeastern North America, Greenland, Northern Europe, and northern Asia.
The moon will block nearly 80% of the left side of the sun as they rise together in the east-northeast at 5:42 a.m. from the Washington, D.C. region. According to NASA, the sun will look like a crescent during this time.
"From any one point along this annular solar eclipse path, the middle or annular or 'ring of fire' stage of the eclipse lasts a maximum of 3 minutes 51 seconds," according to EarthSky.
To safeguard your eyes while witnessing the celestial phenomena, you must wear special solar eclipse glasses. It is risky to look straight at the sun since it can cause harm to your eyes.
This is one of two solar eclipses that will occur in 2021. On December 4, a total solar eclipse will be visible.
And if you miss it, don't worry: you can always watch it on a livestream provided by TimeAndDate.
RELATED ARTICLE: Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse 2021: Where and How to Watch This Rare Event
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