Written by On Saturday, October 14, a solar eclipse will take place and it will be seen across the USA. A solar eclipse is an event where the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, blocking the Sun from Earth’s point of view. Solar eclipses can only happen when the Moon is a new moon.
The October 14 eclipse is an annular eclipse, which means that the Moon doesn’t cover the entire face of the Sun, so there’s still some light from the edges. This kind of eclipse is sometimes called a ring of fire, because that’s exactly what it looks like.
The solar eclipse is visible from the USA, and parts of Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Brazil.
If you live where the yellow line in this photo is, you’ll be able to best see the eclipse. Even if you don’t, chances are you may see a partial part of the eclipse. In the USA, the path crosses 15 states from Oregon to Texas and continues southward into South America and the Atlantic Ocean.
Before viewing any solar eclipse, you’ll need solar eclipse glasses. It isn’t safe to view the Sun, even during a solar eclipse, with no protection. Sunglasses will not protect your eyes from the Sun. Luckily, 10,000 libraries (yes, 10,000 libraries) have free solar eclipse glasses for the event. Your local library might even have some. Look it up online.
NASA says the eclipse will begin in Oregon at 9:13 AM (PDT) and end in Texas at 12:03 AM (CDT). Again, if your viewing the eclipse, it’s best to Google what time the eclipse will be visible in your time zone.
The next solar eclipse will be on April 8, 2024.
