The annular solar eclipse arrives on Saturday, October 14, 2023, where it will be visible and what it consists of

Saturday October 14, 2023 The sky will witness an extraordinary sight: Give it States united Until the Brazil It will be possible to note a “ring of fire” Produced by AAnnular solar eclipsefrom 4.30 p.m. (UTC, le 6.30pm Italian time) until 8.00 pm (Tuesday 10 pm in Italy). The peculiarity of this eclipse, precisely, is that it will be so annular: that it A special type of solar eclipse During it moonAlthough it aligns with the Sun’s disk, it does not completely cover the Sun’s surface sunleaving one visible at the edge Circular section It appears with a “ring of fire” around the dark shadow of our satellite. We Italians won’t be able to see it, however October 28 It will be visible from BelpaesePartial lunar eclipse.

What is an annular eclipse?

a’eclipse It occurs when a celestial body comes between the light source and the observer. As for Monitors On the Land (So ​​we) The most notable eclipses are those related to the system Sun, Earth and Moon. So we have two possibilities: l‘Solar eclipseWhen the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, it casts its shadow on part of our planet. the ‘Lunar eclipseWhen the Earth is located between the Moon and the Sun, leaving part of the Moon’s surface in shadow. (For obvious reasons due to the geometry of the solar system, the Sun cannot Never under any circumstances It comes between the Earth and the Moon – fortunately!)

The most spectacular is certainly the solar eclipseTotal eclipse: Thanks one precise coincidence Between the apparent dimensions of the Sun and the dimensions of the Moon, our satellite Covers completely solar disk, Completely black Sunlight, but they’re there too Partial eclipseWhere the Moon covers the Sun’s disk only partially: in this case, the sun’s brightness decreases It’s not that clear For observers on the ground, it is still a very fascinating event to observe Simple suitable tools.

There is another case, which is the caseAnnular eclipse: Since the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular, however Ellipticalwhen it is at the overload point far from Earth (Og) shows our satellite A little smaller compared to what is at its closest point (rock bottom). This mechanism is the basis of the phenomenon “supermoon”a journalistic term referring to the appearance of the full moon thereA little bigger Because it’s at the bottom. But, while this phenomenon barely During the normal cycle of lunar phases, its influence becomes most noticeable during aAnnular solar eclipse: If the eclipse actually occurs at the moment when the moon approachesOg (and hence farther than Earth), its apparent dimensions are A little smaller From that sun.

As a result, while passing in front of the Sun’s disk, the Moon’s shadow is formed It cannot be completely covered The surface of the sun, leaving a visible trace The part surrounding the edge of the solar disk known as “ring of fire”Clearly visible to anyone observing the event with the appropriate tools. This is what will happen next SaturdaywhenAnnular eclipse It will be visible in the Western Hemisphere.

Where the October 14 eclipse will be visible

Unfortunately, this eclipse It will not be visible from Italybecause it can only be observed by Americas. The annular dimming of the Sun’s disk (preceded by an initial phase called… twilight which will last about an hour and which will be possible to view from a large part of the Earth’s surface) will begin around 6.30pm (Italian time) In the Northwestern United Statesfrom the stateOregonThen it passes diagonally through the territory of the United States Arizona, Colorado, new MexicoAnd TexasThen it rushes out to sea into the Gulf of Mexico. During its passage, this phenomenon will be visible on the peninsula Yucatan (in Mexico), in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, it costs Rika. It will pay for itself in the end south americaWhere it will pass Colombia And finally BrazilEspecially the Basin countries Amazon Rivereven federal states Northeast of the countryWhere it will be lost in the Atlantic Ocean for about hours 8:00 PM (Italian time).

In the areas crossed by the eclipse shadow Overall (i.e. the period during which the ring of fire on the solar disk will be fully visible) will only last a few minutesbut it promises to be an extraordinary spectacle, which it will be possible to admire Live on specialized sites. We will definitely see it arrive Many amazing photos Which will frame the burning “solar ring” over the most diverse landscape.

How to observe the eclipse safely

As with all solar eclipses, it is important to monitor them safetyUse Special glasses Or a Solar filter. I am You should avoid DIY solutionssuch as regular sunglasses or smoked glass: observation, Even shortfrom the solar disk without adequate protection can cause Permanent damage to visionTherefore, maximum attention is required. An alternative and safe way to observe the eclipse is to practice a Hole in the card Or a sheet of plastic e Project the image onto a flat surfacesuch as a screen, a wall, or simply the floor.

Waiting for the lunar eclipse visible from Italy

Unfortunately, as we mentioned, this is a solar eclipse It will not be visible From Europe, therefore not even from Italy. But within two weeks, on the night in between October 28 and 29we will instead have the possibility of a single observation Partial lunar eclipse From all over Europe, Asia and Africa. We will not fail to update you All the information About this event!