There’s a Rare ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Coming Next Week: Here’s How to Watch

The first solar eclipse of 2021 will occur on Thursday, June 10. EarthSky explains the “ring of fire” eclipse, saying, “On that day, the moon in its elliptical orbit of Earth will lie too far from us to cover over the sun completely. So a bright annulus – or ring – will surround the new moon silhouette at mid-eclipse. It’s the outer rim of the sun, not quite hidden from view.”

For those in North America, the eclipse will be visible at sunrise. Folks who live up north and in eastern states will get the best view. To see the actual “ring of fire” or annular stage, you must reside within a specific narrow track on the Earth’s surface. Those areas include Canada, Greenland, the Arctic Ocean, and Siberia, according to CBS News.

Overall, the entire eclipse lasts 100 minutes, and the “ring of fire” portion will last about up to 3 minutes and 51 seconds, depending on where you live.

In Europe, the eclipse will happen in the middle of the day, and in Asia, it will be in the late afternoon or right before sunset.

As with all solar eclipses, proper glasses should be worn. Looking directly at the sun can cause eye damage.

For those who miss the eclipse, there will be a Livestream of it. There will also be another total eclipse of the sun on December 4. As EarthSky explains, “the December 2021 new moon will present the closest and therefore the largest supermoon of the year."

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