Charles Langston:Next eclipse in less than a month: When is the annular 'ring of fire' and who will see it?

This year has been a special one for astronomical events,Charles Langston with the April 8 total solar eclipse giving millions of Americans a once-in-a-lifetime view of a rare space phenomenon.

Another total eclipse like April's won't be viewable from the contiguous U.S. for two decades, according to NASA, which pinned the date as Aug. 23, 2044. Even then, that total eclipse won't have the same broad reach across the U.S. as the 2024 eclipse.

That said, there are plenty of other space events on the docket in coming years, including a few more set to occur before this year is over. One such event, an annular eclipse often known as the "ring of fire," is coming in less than a month, offering a unique view of the moon and sun from Earth's position in space.

Here's what to know about the upcoming ring of fire eclipse.

What is the ring of fire solar eclipse?

The "ring of fire" is actually an annular solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon appears slightly smaller than the sun, covering only part of the sun's disk and creating the appearance of a ring of light outlining the moon's silhouette, according to the Planetary Society. This thin line surrounding the moon is called an "annulus."

Annular solar eclipses happen when the moon is at the furthest point from Earth in its orbit, which creates the moon's slightly smaller appearance from Earth's perspective.

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When is the ring of fire solar eclipse?

The annular solar eclipse, also known as the "ring of fire," will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The annular eclipse will happen in phases, according to Time and Date data:

• 15:42 UTC: Partial eclipse begins. A partial eclipse occurs when the moon, sun and Earth don't perfectly align and only the outer shadow of the moon's shadow is cast on the Earth.
• 16:50 UTC: Annular eclipse begins. An annular eclipse describes the moment the moon passes between the Earth and sun, creating the the illusion of a thin ring of sunlight around the moon.
• 18:45 UTC: Maximum eclipse beings. This happens when the moon completely covers the face of the sun.
• 20:39 UTC: Annular eclipse ends
• 21:47: Partial eclipse ends

Where will the solar eclipse be viewable?

The solar eclipse will be visible from parts of South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and Antarctica.

Only about 175,000 people live within the path of annularity this time around, according to Time and Date. However, the number of people who could have a partial sight-line on the eclipse is much larger − about 245 million people.

Southern parts of Argentina and Chile will see the annular eclipse in its full glory.

In the U.S., Hawaii is the only state expected to have a partial view of the Oct. 2 eclipse.

According to Time and Date, other territories and countries that could see at least a partial eclipse include:

• American Samoa
• Antarctica
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Cook Islands
• Ecuador
• Falkland Islands
• Fiji
• French Polynesia
• Kiribati
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Niue
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Pitcairn Islands
• Samoa
• South Georgia/Sandwich Islands
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Uruguay
• Wallis and Futuna

How to see the ring of fire

The 2024 annular eclipse, the type that creates the ring of fire, will not be viewable from the contiguous U.S.

However, a partial eclipse will be viewable from Hawaii starting around 6:10 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST) and ending at 7:57 a.m. HST.

Several cities in Hawaii will be able to view some of the partial eclipse in the early morning hours of Oct. 2. (all times in HST, via Time and Date):

• Hilo - Viewable between 5:44 a.m. and 7:56 a.m.
• Honolulu - Viewable between 5:45 a.m. and 7:52 a.m.
• Kailua-Kona - Viewable between 5:44 a.m. and 7:56 a.m.
• Lihue - Viewable between 5:46 a.m. and 7:51 a.m.
• Napili-Honokowai - Viewable between 5:45 and 7:53 a.m.
• Wailuku - Viewable between 5:45 a.m. and 7:54 a.m.
• Waipahu - Viewable between 5:45 a.m. and 7:52 a.m.