The Ring of Fire solar eclipse this 2021 is expected to form in the sky this week on Thursday, June 10, at 6:53 AM ET. This rare cosmos event is marked by a bright circle of light, which experts dubbed as the Ring of Fire around the Moon.
The event will be partially visible by those in the northeastern US, but it is best seen from the northern and eastern parts of North America, and Russia.
Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse 2021
This June 10, the first solar eclipse of the year will form as the Moon will entirely block the Sun and will only leave a fiery ring around the Earth's natural satellite.
According to LiveScience, the Moon is far enough from Earth, making it appear too small to block out the entire Sun during an annulus solar eclipse. But instead, the Moon glides across the Sun, forming the fiery edges that are visible from Earth as an annulus or a ring.
The science news website reported that the annular solar eclipse will last for 100 minutes that can be seen from sunrise in Ontario, Canada, then traveling northward to Greenland at its greatest eclipse around 8:41 AM local time or 6:41 EDT (11:41 GDT). While in northern Greenland, residents will be able to see it at 10:41 UTC and will end at sunset in northeastern Siberia, EarthSky reported.
But each point along the eclipse's path, the phase of the "ring of fire" of the solar eclipse when the Moon covers 89% of the Sun will only last for up to three minutes and 51 seconds.
Sadly, there are regions where the Ring of Fire solar eclipse will not be visible or will only see a partial eclipse, depending on the weather. The parts that will witness the partial eclipse will see a lighter shadow, called the penumbra, that will block the sun.
These areas include the United States, and southeast, northeast, midwest, and northern Alaska. NASA said that it is best to watch the eclipse in these areas before, during, and shortly after sunrise. A clear view of the horizon as the sun is rising will also give the best view of the annular solar eclipse.
The Royal Astronomical Society reported that in the United Kingdom and Ireland, it will only be partial as residents can only view 38% of the Sun being blocked by the Moon.
How Does An Annular Solar Eclipse Happen?
Although an annular solar eclipse is not the same as a total solar eclipse, it is still an interesting celestial event with its visible "ring of fire" or annulus around the Moon.
A solar eclipse happens when the New Moon casts a shadow on Earth. However, it is not big enough to create a total solar eclipse and it is always limited to a certain area only and changes during the eclipse because of the Moon and Earth's motion.
According to Time and Date, the term "annular" means a ring in Latin. It is used to describe an eclipse at its darkest and maximum point even if it only lasts for more than a second. A "Ring of Fire" becomes visible, hence it is called an annular solar eclipse.
It happens when it is New Moon (although not always) when the Moon is at a lunar node where it is aligned with the Earth and the Sun, and when the Moon is ear at its farthest point from Earth (called an apogee).
Check out more news and information on Solar Eclipse in Science Times.
