For the first time since April's historic solar eclipse, thousands worldwide will see another eclipse this Wednesday, October 2, when the "ring of fire" takes over the skies.
According to Time and Date, only about 175,000 people live within the annularity path this time around. However, the number of people who could have a partial sightline on the eclipse is much larger—about 245 million.
The annular (or ring-shaped) eclipse will be most visible from parts of South America, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and Antarctica; meanwhile, southern parts of Argentina and Chile will see the annular eclipse in its full glory. Hawaii is the only state expected to have a partial view of the eclipse, so don't get your hopes up too much if you reside in other parts of the U.S.
The annular eclipse will happen in phases, according to Time and Date:
- 15:42 UTC: Partial eclipse begins.
- 16:50 UTC: Annular eclipse begins.
- 18:45 UTC: Maximum eclipse begins.
- 20:39 UTC: Annular eclipse ends.
- 21:47 UTC: Partial eclipse ends.
The "ring of fire" is an annular solar eclipse that occurs when the moon is at the farthest point from Earth in its orbit. This makes the moon appear slightly smaller than the sun from Earth's vantage point.
When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, its smaller shape only covers part of the sun, creating the appearance of a ring of light around the sun's silhouette, says the Planetary Society—this is called an "annulus."
