Solar eclipse 2023: How to see October’s ‘ring of fire’, the biggest cosmic event of the year

Here’s how you can experience the Great American Eclipse and see the spectacular ‘ring of fire’ this October.

By Holly Spanner

Published: Friday, 06 October 2023 at 16:56 PM

Get ready for the most exciting astronomical event of 2023; an annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse.

An annular eclipse is one of the most spectacular types of eclipse, and the next one will cut right across the US on 14 October 2023.

No longer viewed as the fearful events of yesteryear, eclipses are predictable – and have been calculated for hundreds of years into the future. But even though we now understand why they happen, they are still one of the most exciting and mesmerising sights nature has to offer.

For approximately 4-5 minutes on 14 October 2023, the shadow of the Moon will speed across the western hemisphere, and the spectacular ring of fire will be visible to millions of people across parts of North, Central and South America. Meanwhile, all of America will experience a partial eclipse of the Sun.

But what is an annular eclipse? How is it different from a partial or total solar eclipse? And where can you see the ring of fire?

When is the annular solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse will take place on 14 October 2023. It’s an annular eclipse, with many dubbing it the ‘Great American Eclipse’ thanks to the spectacular ring of fire that will travel across eight US states, Mexico and South America.

Meanwhile, all of the US will see a partial eclipse.

What time is the annular eclipse?

If you’re in the path of annular totality, the time you can see the eclipse will vary with time zone, as the eclipse makes its way across America. Using UTC*, this will be anywhere between 4:15pm on the west coast of the US (where local time will be in the morning), to 5:44pm on the east coast (where local time will be at sunset).

*UTC is Coordinated Universal Time, and is the standard time used to set all time zones around the globe.

What time is the annular eclipse in my state?

Using a central-ish location for each US state where totality will be observed, here are the times you will see the Sun become an incredible ring of fire in your state.

A partial eclipse will also be visible at these locations for around 90 minutes before and after totality (ordered from first location to last location to see the ring of fire):

View an interactive eclipse map to determine the exact time of partial and maximum eclipse where you are. This will be the last chance to see a ring of fire eclipse in this part of the world until 2046.

Where will the annular eclipse be visible?

The annular solar eclipse will be visible from North, Central, and South America on 14 October 2023.

All of America and Canada will experience a partial solar eclipse on this date, but only a few US states along with Mexico and South America will see the spectacular ‘ring of fire’. Those lucky enough to be in the path of the annular eclipse will also experience a partial eclipse before and after the ring of fire.

The ring of fire will travel across eight states, then cross into South America passing over Northern Brazil before ending in the Atlantic Ocean at sunset – a spectacular sight for any ships in the vicinity to see an annular solar eclipse sinking below the horizon.

The first US state to see the ring of fire will be Oregon, followed by California, then Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

The path of the annular solar eclipse will then move across Mexico, then Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

After that, it will pass over Panama, then Colombia and Brazil, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean.

From start to finish, the eclipse on 14 October will last for around 2.5 hours in total:

Sorry UK viewers, this solar eclipse is not visible from our side of the pond.

What does an annular eclipse look like?

An annular eclipse, aka ring of fire, looks exactly what it sounds like; a fiery, radiant halo against a darkened sky. It happens when the Moon is directly in front of the Sun, leaving only the outer edge of the Sun visible around the edge of the Moon.

Not every solar eclipse will result in a ring of fire, however, the Moon must be far enough away from us in its elliptical orbit to not block out all of the Sun.

What is an annular solar eclipse?

An annular eclipse (aka ring of fire eclipse) is a type of solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but does not completely block out the light. As a result, the Sun’s outer edge, known as the ‘ring of fire’ or the ‘annulus’, remains visible around the Moon, like a halo of light.

Because the Moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, the distance between the Earth and the Moon varies throughout the year. For an annular eclipse to occur, the Moon must be in its new Moon phase, and far enough away from Earth so that it looks small. It’s therefore unable to completely block out the Sun’s central disc. 

Annular eclipses are visually striking and occur less frequently than partial (when only a portion of the Sun is obscured by the Moon, resulting in a crescent-shaped Sun) and total solar eclipses (when the Moon completely covers the Sun). Annular eclipses are a rare treat, and one that you’ll remember for many years to come.  

When is the next solar eclipse?

For the UK, the next solar eclipse will be a partial eclipse in March 2025, but we’ve got a long time to wait until the next total eclipse; September 2090.

Here is a list of upcoming solar eclipses worldwide:

Why does a solar eclipse only happen during a new Moon?

A solar eclipse can only happen during a new Moon phase. This is because during a new Moon, the Moon is located between the Sun and the Earth – which is where the Moon needs to be in order to block out light from the Sun. It’s quite simple when you think about it!

While in this straight-line configuration, the Moon is able to pass in front of the Sun (from our viewpoint on Earth), and we get a solar eclipse.

However, not every new Moon will result in a solar eclipse, so we don’t get them every month. This is because the Moon orbits the Earth on a plane that is slightly different from Earth’s orbit around the Sun, by around 5 degrees. This small difference is usually enough so the new Moon can pass above or below the Sun, without blocking out the Sun – so no eclipse.

That means solar eclipses can only occur when the Moon passes through Earth’s orbital plane, during a new Moon phase.

Why don’t solar eclipses last as long as lunar eclipses?

During an eclipse, totality can range from just a few seconds to minutes, whereas for a lunar eclipse, totality can last for an hour – with the whole event lasting several hours.

This difference is down to the different relative sizes of the Earth and Moon, i.e., the body casting the shadow. In a lunar eclipse, it’s the Earth casting a shadow onto the Moon, whereas in a solar eclipse it’s the Moon casting a shadow onto the Earth.

How to view the annular solar eclipse on 14 October:

For those of us not in the path of the eclipse, you can still watch it via the official NASA broadcast on their YouTube channel, which begins streaming at 4:30pm on 14 October 2023.