A solar eclipse, also known as the “Ring of Fire,” is expected to be visible in the sky next month and will not be seen again until 2039.
According to NASA, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s orbit is between the Earth and the sun. However, it does not entirely block the sun like a lunar eclipse. Meanwhile, the “ring of fire” effect in the sky occurs since the moon is further away from the Earth than usual and appears smaller than the sun.
Xavier Jubier, a French eclipse expert, created an interactive map displaying the eclipse's entire path as it moves around the Earth. Additionally, Space.com has posted a list of well-known locations and cities where people can observe the "ring of fire" solar eclipse, as well as the time and duration of the event.
As reported by CBN News, the path of the eclipse will travel across eight states, starting in Oregon and followed by California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. If people are not in the path of the solar eclipse, they can still see a partial eclipse.
For anyone unable to see the “ring of fire” in person, NASA will have a livestream available online for anyone to view.
According to Reuters, experts warn that it is harmful to look directly at the sun unless one is wearing specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. That also includes during a solar eclipse since the moon does not entirely block the sun.
Experts and several doctors recommend using safe solar viewing glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer when viewing the cosmic event. Regular sunglasses, however, are unsafe when viewing the sun. Another recommendation for watching the event in the sky is to use a special-purpose solar filter if watching the eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars, or telescope to prevent eye damage.
Per the Farmer’s Almanac, the “ring of fire” is scheduled to take Oct. 14 and will not be seen again in the U.S. until 2039. Meanwhile, the next annular solar eclipse visible from the U.S. will occur on June 21, 2039, but it will only be visible in Alaska and Northwest Canada.
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
