Annular solar eclipse today: Check out the best viewing locations
Today, sky lovers around the globe are in for a treat with a spectacular celestial show — an annular solar eclipse! This cool astronomical event, often called a "ring of fire" eclipse, happens when the Moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the Sun. But here's the twist: since the Moon is a bit far from us during this alignment, it can't completely cover the Sun's face.
Understanding the 'ring of fire' phenomenon
The annular solar eclipse is often called a "ring of fire" because of how it looks. During the peak of this event, the Sun's outer edges are still visible, forming a bright ring around the Moon. This happens because the Moon is at or near its apogee (the farthest point from Earth), making it look smaller than the Sun in our sky. Sadly, neither the annular solar eclipse nor the partial solar eclipse will be visible in India.
The eclipse's journey across the globe
The annular eclipse will kick off its global journey today at 9:12pm IST, starting in the southern Pacific Ocean. The path of annularity, where the "ring of fire" will be most visible, is pretty narrow—about 265km wide at its widest point. It'll first hit land in southern Chile around 10:20pm IST, then move through parts of Argentina, and finally wrap up in the southern Atlantic Ocean at 2:09am IST on Thursday.
Easter Island to witness impressive solar coverage
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is gearing up to be one of the coolest spots to catch this eclipse. This isolated Chilean territory in the Pacific Ocean will see a whopping 87% coverage of the Sun's disk, with the annular phase happening between 9:33pm and 9:39pm IST. While just around 1,75,000 folks live in the path of annularity, millions more can still catch a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse.
Partial solar eclipse: Where can it be seen?
If you're in Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, or even Hawaii, you're in for a treat! You'll get to see a partial eclipse. Some of the best spots to catch this show include Honolulu, Hawaii, Palmyra Atoll, Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Fakaofo, Apia, Pago Pago, Alofi, Mata-Utu, and Nuku'alofa. The peak of the eclipse will happen at 12:15am IST on October 3 over Argentina, where lucky viewers will see the Moon perfectly centered within the Sun's disk.
