Last month's "super flower blood moon" lunar eclipsewas hardly the only exciting celestial event of the season. Next week brings an even bigger spectacle — a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse.
On June 10, skywatchers all over the world will be able to view the eclipse.
What is an annular solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun's light. During an annular solar eclipse, the moon does not completely cover the sun as it passes, leaving a glowing ring of sunlight visible.
An annular eclipse can only occur under specific conditions, NASA says. The moon must be in its first lunar phase, and it must also be farther away from Earth in its elliptical orbit, appearing smaller in the sky than it usually would.
Because the moon appears smaller under these circumstances, it cannot fully block out the sun, forming what's called a "ring of fire" or "ring of light."
"As the pair rises higher in the sky, the silhouette of the Moon will gradually shift off the sun to the lower left, allowing more of the Sun to show until the eclipse ends," NASA said.
The moon moves in front of the sun in a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse as seen from Tanjung Piai, Malaysia on December 26, 2019.SADIQ ASYRAF / AFP / GETTY IMAGES
How to watch the annular solar eclipse
Thursday morning, June 10, makes the new moon, which will eclipse the sun at 6:53 a.m. ET. To see it, look to the east.
The narrow path of the eclipse will be completely visible in parts of Canada, Greenland, the Arctic Ocean and Siberia. It will be partially visible for much of the rest of northeastern North America, Greenland, Northern Europe and northern Asia.
From the Washington, D.C. area, the moon will block about 80% of the left side of the sun as they rise together in the east-northeast at 5:42 a.m. The sun will appear as a crescent during this time, NASA says.
"From any one point along this annular solar eclipse path, the middle or annular or 'ring of fire' stage of the eclipse lasts a maximum of 3 minutes 51 seconds," according to EarthSky.
The event will conclude around 6:29 a.m. ET.
It is essential to wear special solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes while viewing the celestial phenomenon. Looking directly at the sun is dangerous and can damage your eyes.
This is just one of two solar eclipses in 2021. A total solar eclipse will be visible on December 4.
And don't worry if you miss it — you can just catch up with a livestream instead.
Quelle: CBS News
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Update: 6.06.2021
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How to see 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse, 1st visible in US since 2017
The June 10 eclipse will be visible in northeastern North America.
A stunning annular solar eclipse will illuminate the sky, appearing as an ominous ring of fiery, glowing light in some parts of the world next week.
The spectacle, called the "ring of fire" solar eclipse, will be visible for many people around sunrise on June 10 and will visible in northeastern North America, as well as northern regions of Europe and Asia.
In a solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun's light. In annular solar eclipses, the moon isn't close enough to Earth to fully cover the sun, leaving a ring of orange sunlight around the moon.
Onlookers in Canada, Greenland and northern Russia will have a front row seat to the ring-shaped wonder. Meanwhile, viewers in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. should look east to observe the partial solar eclipse that will take the shape of a crescent sun, according to NASA. In the U.S., the eclipse will occur before, during, and shortly after sunrise.
The eclipse will start at 4:12 a.m. ET and will end at 9:11 a.m. ET in the northeastern U.S. The time of maximum eclipse varies by location, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
In New York, the eclipse will begin at 4:41 a.m. ET, with a maximum eclipse around 5:35 a.m., per NASA data.
Astronomers have emphasized that while it's safe to view this eclipse, do so only by using eye protection such as "eclipse glasses" or a solar filter.
This will be the first solar eclipse in the U.S. since 2017, when a total solar eclipse dazzled the nation.
Sky gazers were left in awe by the "Super Flower Blood Moon" last month. It was the second super moon of the season and happened at the same time as a lunar eclipse. During that event, the moon had a reddish hue and appeared brighter and larger than usual.
Quelle: abcNews
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Update: 8.06.2021
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How and when to watch the solar eclipse on Thursday
The moon will partially cover the sun in the UK later this week, but some parts of the northern hemisphere will experience a total eclipse
A partial annular solar eclipse seen from Bangkok in June 2020. Photograph: Narong Sangank/EPA
This Thursday, Greenland, Iceland, the Arctic, most of Europe, much of North America and Asia will experience a solar eclipse.
Most will see a partial eclipse, where the moon takes a bite out of the sun. From a few specific places in Russia, Greenland and Canada, the event will be visible as an annular eclipse, which occurs when the moon is located near the furthest part of its orbit around the Earth.
Hence, the moon does not completely cover the Sun. Instead it leaves a ring of bright surface visible around the silhouette of the moon. It is this annulus that gives the eclipse its name.
For all of us, the spectacle begins at 08:12 UTC (Universal coordinated Time). At this moment, the moon will begin its slow creep across the face of the sun. It reaches its maximum coverage at 10:41 UTC and then, the eclipse ends at 13:11 UTC.
Websites such as timeanddate.com will help you convert UTC into your local time. In the UK, for example, British summer time is UTC+1 hour, so the maximum eclipse takes place at 11:41 BST.
Always remember never to look directly at the sun. Eclipse glasses are widely available online.
