Jakarta –
NASA, via its official Twitter account, announced information regarding an annular solar eclipse which will appear on October 14 2023. Reportedly, a phenomenon such as a ‘ring of fire’ will move from the Oregon coast to the Gulf of Mexico.
Previously, people on the American continent experienced a phenomenon similar to an annular solar eclipse in the Southwestern United States on May 20 2012.
Reported from the page ZME Science, a solar eclipse itself can occur when the new moon is between the Earth and the Sun so that a shadow is formed on the Earth. An annular or circular form of solar eclipse can occur when the Moon is in a relatively small area of the sky.
Under these conditions, a ring solar eclipse can occur, namely when the Moon appears slightly smaller than the Sun so that it does not completely cover the Sun. This position creates a ‘ring of fire’ effect or like a ring formed from fire.
‘Ring of Fire’ view
Unlike the total solar eclipse that occurred on August 21 2017, the annular solar eclipse will not completely darken the landscape of the Earth’s surface.
This condition is because the Moon’s ability to ‘hide’ the Sun’s disk depends on how far the Moon is from Earth.
Remember, the Moon’s elliptical orbit affects the apogee (farthest point) and perigee (closest point). Apogee and perigee occur twice a month, causing the Moon to appear larger or smaller in the sky.
When viewed from the annularity line stretching from Oregon to Texas, on October 14 2023, the new moon will appear small and only cover 91% of the Sun’s sphere. This ultimately causes the phenomenon of a solar eclipse to take the form of a ring of fire.
Areas that can see the annular solar eclipse
This year’s annular solar eclipse can be witnessed in North America, Central America and most of South America. However, this ring of fire can only be seen in a strip 118 to 137 miles (190 to 220 kilometers) wide.
The line will pass through the western US before heading to Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. The best view of the solar eclipse on October 14 2023 will last five minutes and 17 seconds.
NASA said the path of the upcoming eclipse will pass through the eight US states through which the eclipse passes chronologically as follows:
– Southern Oregon
– Northeastern California
– Northern Nevada
– Southern Utah
– Southwest Colorado
– Northeastern Arizona
– New Mexico
– Texas
How to See the Annular Solar Eclipse?
To be able to see this phenomenon safely, a sun protection filter is needed. Because even if you only see a partial eclipse, the risk to your eyesight will remain the same.
Special glasses for a solar eclipse are needed if you want to look directly at the sky. In fact, a solar filter is also needed when looking through a camera, telescope or binoculars because apart from protecting the eyes, it also protects equipment.
“During an annular eclipse, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without special eye protection designed for viewing the Sun,” NASA said.
Meanwhile, detikers who do not live in the area crossed by the eclipse path can still see this phenomenon virtually. The ‘2023 Ring of Fire’ phenomenon will be broadcast live streaming via the timeanddate.com page and the San Francisco Exploratorium.
Watch the video “The rare phenomenon of a hybrid solar eclipse will occur today”
(does/does)
2023-09-08 11:00:36
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