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Annular Solar Eclipse 2023: A ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will occur on October 14, 2023. This is an annular solar eclipse, and is known as a ‘ring of fire’ because the shadow cast by the Moon on the Sun gives the appearance of a golden ring around the Sun. An annular solar eclipse is one in which the Moon is far away from the Earth, as a result of which Earth’s only natural satellite appears smaller than the Sun in the sky. The Moon does not completely block the view of the Sun, but appears like a dark disc on top of a brighter and larger disc.
The Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, and is at the farthest point in its orbit around the Earth. During an annular solar eclipse, the edge of the Sun remains visible as a bright ring around the Moon.
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Where will the annular solar eclipse be visible?
The annular solar eclipse of 2023 will be visible from the United States, and parts of Central America, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, according to timeanddate.com. People living in regions outside the area covered by the Moon’s inner shadow will see a partial solar eclipse. These include West Africa, South America, and areas near the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.
In the US, the ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path from Oregon to Texas.
When will the annular solar eclipse begin?
The annular solar eclipse will not be visible in India. However, people in India can watch it online. The partial phase of the annular solar eclipse will begin on October 14 at 20:33 IST, the full eclipse at 21:40 IST, the maximum eclipse will occur at 23:29 IST, the full phase will end on October 15 at 1:19 IST, and the particle phase of the eclipse will end at 2:25 IST.
Several people living in the Western Hemisphere can witness this spectacle.
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How to watch the annular solar eclipse
People living in countries where the annular solar eclipse is not visible can use NASA’s 3D interactive technology called “Eyes On The Solar System”. One can use their mouse or touchpad to click inside the window and interact with Earth to witness the eclipse.
One can watch the livestream of the ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse on the official YouTube channel of NASA.
What are the different phases of an annular solar eclipse?
The different phases of an annular solar eclipse are: partial eclipse, annularity, return to partial eclipse, and end of partial eclipse.
Partial eclipse
The partial eclipse phase is the one in which the Moon begins to pass in front of the Sun, and slowly starts blocking more and more of the Sun’s light. This makes the Sun appear smaller and smaller. The Sun becomes crescent-shaped, and ultimately forms a “C” shape. This stage is called the first contact phase.
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Annularity
The annularity phase begins about an hour and 20 minutes after the partial eclipse starts. During the annularity phase, the Moon passes completely in front of the Sun, forming a bright “ring”. This phase is also known as the second contact phase. For most places, it lasts for one to 5 minutes. The sky becomes dimmer during an annular solar eclipse, but not as dim as during a total solar eclipse. About 90 per cent of the Sun will be covered by the Moon.
Return to partial eclipse
After the second contact phase, the Moon continues passing across the face of the Sun for about an hour and 20 minutes. This produces another partial eclipse phase, and is known as the third contact stage.
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End of partial eclipse
The Moon keeps moving away from the Sun until it no longer overlaps the star’s disk. This marks the end of the eclipse, and is known as the fourth contact phase.
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The next solar eclipse
The next solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024. It will be a total solar eclipse.
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