An Annular Solar Eclipse Happens October 2, 2024

Annular Solar EclipsePhoto byKarl MagnusononUnsplash

It won't be visible in the continental US, but a solar eclipse happens on October 2. This one is an annular eclipse meaning the Moon will be centered in front of the Sun, but won't completely obscure it. This happens because the moon is closer to Earth and further from the Sun. The ring of sunlight visible around the Moon's edges is called an annulus, or "ring of fire."

The solar eclipse will be visible to about 3% of the world's population (around 245 million people) in parts of the southern hemisphere over the Pacific Ocean including Hawaii and much of South America particularly southern Chile and southern Argentina, beginning at 11:43 AM EDT, before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The maximum eclipse will occur at 2:45 PM EDT, with the best time to catch it on live streams being 3:03 PM to 3:09 PM EDT, when the ring of fire will be visible for up to 6 minutes and 11 seconds from Easter Island/Rapa Nui.