Ring of Fire: Annular Solar Eclipse Stuns Skywatchers in South America

2024-10-03 2024-10-03T13:52:19Z

Arab Weather - On Wednesday (October 2), a limited number of skywatchers witnessed the amazing "ring of fire" phenomenon, as the sun turned into a circle of fire during an annular eclipse that swept across the Pacific Ocean, passing through Hawaii, southern Chile, and southern Argentina, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean and disappearing from sight.

Only an estimated 175,000 people, or about 0.002% of the world's population, were in the eclipse's path and had a full view of the "ring of fire."

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, was one of the main locations that attracted observers from around the world, despite the threat of clouds. Jimmy Carter, a science journalist and editor, was enthusiastic, telling Space.com:

"It was amazing! The clouds moved away from the sun just seconds before the ring appeared, and we were so lucky to see this amazing sight."

What is an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but is at its farthest point from Earth (apogee), making it too small to completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon does not completely block the Sun as in a total eclipse, but leaves an outer edge of the Sun visible as a bright ring around the Moon, known as the "ring of fire."

In this type of eclipse, most of the Sun's light is blocked, but the illuminated outer portion remains visible, creating a bright circular appearance. This eclipse is a rare and spectacular phenomenon for skywatchers, and they must be in specific locations on Earth to see the full "ring of fire."