Eclipse-chasers can look forward to the coming months as a ring of fire eclipse and total eclipse are both predicted to take place this year.
Ring of Fire Eclipse
According to the Space Academy, an annular solar eclipse will be closing the skies by October 2023. Viewers who are in America will be able to enjoy such a rare sight.
During broad daylight, a vibrant ring of light will surround the moon. This will result in an impressive sighting of the encounter of the sun and the moon.
This ring of fire eclipse is expected to take place by October 14, 2023. In such a case, the moon will be situated between the earth and the sun. As a result, the moon will almost fully block the sun's rays. Day and night will resultantly merge as one because of such a rare encounter. Darkness will slowly cover the celestial object until a ring of fire is left to cover the moon.
Space reports that this rare effect will last for five minutes and 17 seconds at the most. It will be sweeping North and South America and visiting Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. However, before this, it will also be visible across northern California, central Utah, northeastern Nevada, southwestern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Texas, and central New Mexico. The eclipse will also pass over 20 national monuments, national parks, and wilderness regions.
The biggest drawback about this event is that the naked eye cannot view it at any point. Because only 91% of the disk of the sun gets covered by the moon, solar filters should be attached to the equipment and the human eye.
Nevertheless, a few months before this event, a total eclipse is also expected to take place.
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Total Eclipse
Next month, a total eclipse is expected to happen. By April 20, 2023, the moon and the sun will have an encounter leading to a total eclipse. However, it will end up stumbling and failing to cause a full solar eclipse. A ring of fire will become visible for a few seconds from the Indian Ocean. However, by the time it reaches Exmouth in western Australia, the disk of the moon will fully cover the sun and cause a total eclipse.
However, the total eclipse will only be brief. Eclipse-chasers will only get to experience a minute's worth of darkness. Even at the greatest eclipse point, which will be off the Timor-Leste coast, totality will last for only 76 seconds.
Almanac reports that this eclipse is considered a hybrid one as it can be viewed as total or annular depending on the location.
2023 Solar Eclipses
Only a few eclipse-chasers got to witness the previous eclipses as they have been extremely difficult to sight. With the annular and total eclipses expected to take place this year, this is bound to change. For those on the lookout for these eclipses, be sure to take note of the dates and prepare protective gear for the eyes.
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