On Oct. 14, an annual “ring of fire” solar eclipse illuminated the sky, visible from across the Americas, starting in the North Pacific region and reaching Oregon. Otherwise known as an annular eclipse, the “ring of fire” alludes to a point where the moon almost aligns with the sun, yet not completely, so that some of the sun’s disk is covered, but the sun’s outer rim is not — creating a ring of sunlight.
As the annular eclipse traveled from Oregon at around 12:15 a.m. EST, its visibility was mainly apparent in the following U.S. states: Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. The solar eclipse made a bigger scene in parts of Central America, including Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Panama, and in South America, Colombia and Brazil.
Depending on location, the amount of time it takes for the moon to obscure the sun lasts anywhere from two and a ½ to three hours. However, the “ring of fire” only occurs for three to five minutes, so it is important viewers act quickly if they want to spot the unique phenomenon.
This event occurs every one to two years, but for the U.S., the next visible Ring of Fire will be in 2039. However, a full solar eclipse will occur in April 2024.
Unfortunately for Florida, this year’s eclipse was not as visible compared to other parts of the U.S. Therefore, If one did not have the opportunity to view the eclipse, it is available on NASA’s website and YouTube channel for all viewers.
