When and Where
“The Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central, and South America. It will be visible in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America,” according to NASA.
The weather forecast calls for a cloudy morning with some rain before clearing up in the evening. According to NASA,“you need a clear view of the Sun and Moon to see the eclipse. However, even with cloud cover, the eerie daytime darkness associated with eclipses is still noticeable.”
The eclipse begins in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and ends in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT. To see the eclipse, one must view from somewhere along the path of annularity.
Annularity is when the moon passes over the sun, creating a “ring” of sun visible around the moon. The sky will darken for roughly five minutes, and the air may feel cooler during this time.
NASA’s website provides a table with each phase of the solar eclipse and where one can view its path of annularity.
An annular eclipse has four phases: partial eclipse, annularity, return to partial eclipse and partial eclipse ends. The partial eclipse phase occurs as the moon begins to pass before the sun, blocking out light and forming a smaller crescent before creating a “C” shape.
After annularity, the moon continues to pass the sun, producing another partial eclipse before it no longer overlaps with the sun’s disk. The eclipse is over.
Safety Guidelines for Eclipse Viewing
During an eclipse, the sun is never entirely blocked by the moon. Viewers should only look at the eclipse with proper protection, regardless of whether they are looking at the eclipse directly or through an optical device like a camera lens.
Viewers must watch the solar eclipse with eclipse glasses, which are not the same as regular sunglasses. According to NASA, “eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun.”
NASA also advised people not to use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes. They require different types of solar filters.
