If you’re a big fan of all things space, or maybe you are just a casual enjoyer, you will want to know about this upcoming eclipse. Happening in October of this year, so very soon, an annual solar eclipse will be occurring. Falling perfectly on a Saturday, this eclipse will fully bloom on the 14th. So, what exactly should you know about this event?
This particular eclipse is an annual eclipse dubbed the ‘Ring of Fire’ because the moon is at its most distant point from the Earth. This results in the moon being unable to cover the sun completely, leaving a ring of the sun around the moon, hence the name.
According to NASA, the path of the eclipse includes Oregon to Texas, parts of Mexico, Central America, and South America. The contiguous US, Puerto Rico, and some areas of Alaska and Hawaii will also be able to see a partial eclipse. It’s hard to say how visible the eclipse will be from California, with different sources claiming differing levels of visibility. Regardless of whether or not you’ll be in an area to which it is visible that weekend, you’re still in luck. NASA’s Live website will be recording the eclipse in action. As well as several of NASA’s social media accounts.
However, when viewing partial/annual eclipses in person, such as this one, remember that safety comes first! When the moon is not entirely eclipsing the sun, viewing without the proper equipment is unsafe. Items that are safe to view include *undamaged* eclipse glasses, solar viewers, and even a pinhole projector with the proper instructions.
Items NOT safe to view are regular sunglasses, a camera lens, a telescope, binoculars, or any other types of optical wear. Also, if you ever plan on viewing an entire eclipse, skin protection is very important. Annual
eclipses can last hours on end, so viewing throughout the whole time could damage your skin. So sunscreen, protective clothing, hats/visors are just as important.
Safety gear will be the easiest to buy online, and you can browse through many sites that offer them, for example, Amazon. And there are even some sites that specialize in eclipse glasses. Solar glasses is also easiest to buy online and are offered by many sites. Just remember eclipse viewing protection must always meet ISO 12312-2 international standards.
However, again, if you are not going to be in an area of visibility or maybe you’d rather watch it online, there are multiple ways to do so. As stated previously, NASA Live will be streaming, as well as their Facebook page, X(Twitter) page, and YouTube Channel. If these don’t work for you they also have an app (IOS & Android) and are available on TV platforms like Roku, Pluto, Hulu, Direct TV, DISH Network, Google Fiber, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.
No matter how you view the eclipse, be safe and have fun! And look out for the next major eclipse next year on April 8th.
Happy Viewing!
