While excitement is already mounting for the big total solar eclipse in 2024, this year isn’t a waste just yet. In fact, depending on where you are in the world in this October, the Sun and the Moon will come together to create a “Ring of Fire” eclipse. They are also known as “annular eclipses” and occur when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light. This creates a stunning ring of lights around the Moon.
Annular solar eclipses are especially exciting because of the spectacle that they create. And while it won’t plunge parts of our country into complete darkness like the total eclipse of 2024 will, it’s still worth trying to get a glimpse of it if you’re anywhere close to the affected areas.
So where exactly will this upcoming Ring of Fire eclipse hit, and when should you expect to look for it in the sky? The eclipse will kick off on October 14, 2023. Luckily that’s on a Saturday, so it should hopefully be easy to work around other schedules if you want to see the eclipse for yourself. Like most sky-based events, how it looks is going to change a lot based on where you’re viewing it from.
To get the most out of this upcoming annular solar eclipse, you’re going to need to head to a small swath of the United States, though the main path will extend through parts of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Northeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and even Texas. The Ring of Fire Eclipse will be visible in other parts of the world this October, including Panama, Belize and Nicaragua.
Parts of Brazil and Columbia will also get glimpses of the annular eclipse, though the path will eventually turn off, heading eastbound across the ocean. You can find a detailed breakdown on where you will be able to view the eclipse in NASA report , with some excellent visual maps by Great American Eclipse, LLC.
Want a closer look at the Ring of Fire? Here’s a list of popular places to head to see the eclipse, as well as when it will reach maximum eclipse.
- Eugene, Oregon – 9:18 a.m. PDT
- Alturas, California – 9:20 a.m. PDT
- Battle Mountain, Nevada – 9:23 a.m. PDT
- Richfield, Utah – 10:28 a.m. MDT
- Albuquerque, New Mexico – 10:35 a.m. MDT
- San Antonio, Texas – 11:54 a.m. CDT
Keep in mind that the Ring of Fire eclipse will only last for a few minutes, at least as far as the Maximum eclipse goes, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to see it in its full glory. A partial eclipse will run for a couple of hours once it kicks off in the morning, though, so you’ll be able to see evidence of the annular eclipse throughout the morning in each of the places listed above.
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