Thursday’s ‘Ring Of Fire’ Solar Eclipse: 5 Things To Know

ACROSS AMERICA — The United States had never seen a sun party quite like the one held in 2017 when an entire country stopped to watch the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. For eclipse chasers, it was the party of a lifetime when the Lower 48 states were plunged into partial or total darkness for a few brief minutes.

In just a handful of hours, the stars will figuratively align for another solar eclipse, though skywatchers in the United States shouldn’t expect the same level of grandeur from this one.

Dubbed the “ring of fire” eclipse, Thursday’s astrological phenomenon won’t produce the same darkness or lower temperatures caused by its showy predecessor. In fact, it won’t even be visible in most parts of the United States.

Still, some living in certain parts of the country may catch a short glimpse of the eclipse if they get up early and find a clear, unobstructed view of the sky.

If you cannot watch it in person, Time and Date will livestream the eclipse on YouTube at 5 a.m. EDT. It also has a list of several streaming partners that will be helping out from the United States and Canada.

Here’s what else you should know about the June 10 annual eclipse:

What is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow on parts of Earth by fully or partially blocking the sun’s light.

An annular eclipse, such as Thursday’s, happens when the moon is far enough away from Earth that it appears smaller than the sun in the sky. Since the moon will not block the entire view of the sun, it will look like a dark disk on top of a large bright disk. This creates a bright annulus — or "ring of fire" — around the moon.

What time does it start? How long will the eclipse last?

In all, the June 10 eclipse is expected to last just over an hour and a half — specifically, about 100 minutes. It will start at sunrise in Ontario, Canada, and will follow a path across the northern reaches of the globe, reaching its midpoint over northern Greenland — when the “ring of fire” will be most visible. It will then continue over the North Pole, ending at sunset over northeastern Siberia.

The middle or annular “ring of fire” stage of the eclipse will last a maximum of 3 minutes, 51 seconds, according to EarthSky.org.

Will we see the eclipse anywhere in the United States?

People in the United States will not see the full annular eclipse, though some could luck out and catch glimpses of a partial solar eclipse.

You will have the greatest chance of seeing the partial eclipse if you live in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. For instance, if you live in New York City, eclipse magnitude — the percentage of the sun’s diameter covered by the moon — will reach a whopping 80 percent and last for just over an hour past sunrise.

If you are on the East Coast, chances of seeing the eclipse dwindle the farther south you live. In Savannah, Georgia, the eclipse magnitude will be 2.8 percent and will last just shy of 3½ minutes post-sunrise. If you live in Florida, you will not see it all.

If you live in the northern Midwest, you might want to find an unobstructed view of the sunrise; otherwise, you might miss the eclipse entirely. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, eclipse magnitude will be 2.2 percent and last only 1 minute, 37 seconds past sunrise.

How can I safely watch the eclipse?

If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the partial eclipse, make sure you do it safely. Gazing at the sun without eye protection can permanently damage your eyes and even cause blindness. You should also never use optical devices such as binoculars or telescopes, and do not even think about using your sunglasses to see it.

Other things you should not use to look directly at the sun include: polarized filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, X-ray film or photographic neutral density filters.

A pinhole projector is a safe, tried-and-true option. The Exploratorium in San Francisco explains the easiest way to make one.

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse — which will be a total eclipse in Antarctica and a partial eclipse in South Africa and the South Atlantic — will take place on Dec. 4, according to NASA.

While a total solar eclipse is a relatively rare event, another will happen over the United States on April 8, 2024, according to the Planetary Society. This eclipse will start in Mazatlán, Mexico, and will travel northeast into the United States, passing over Texas and through several other states before it reaches the border shared by Maine and Eastern Canada.

The maximum duration of totality will be about 4½ minutes.