A solar eclipse in the shape of a ring of fire will be visible in the sky next Wednesday, October 2.
After the solar eclipse last April which offered a rare spectacle to the inhabitants of North America, it is the turn of the south of the continent to witness an equally remarkable event: an annular eclipse. The latter will occur this Wednesday, October 2, 2024 and will cause a circle of fire to appear in the sky of several countries. Even if this phenomenon will not be visible directly from France, it will be broadcast live on various internet lives, allowing people around the world to enjoy this unique moment.
Annular eclipses are a somewhat special type of solar eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun but remains far enough away from us not to completely obscure the solar disk. The visible diameter of the Moon is then smaller than that of the Sun and reveals a luminous ring all around it. This phenomenon will last several minutes and will not plunge spectators into darkness as was the case during the total eclipse of April 8 in the United States.
The annular eclipse will begin Wednesday at 5:42 p.m. and end at 11:46 p.m. (French time). At the moment of its maximum, at 8:44 p.m., the Sun will be almost completely hidden by the Moon, leaving only 7% of the surface of its disk appearing around the latter in the form of a circle of fire. If weather conditions permit and the clouds do not spoil the party, this ring will then be visible for 7 minutes and 25 seconds before the Moon continues its eternal course around the Earth.
To take advantage of it, you will have to be in very specific regions of the globe such as southern Chile and Argentina or in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean such as the famous Easter Island. Near these locations, viewers will witness a partial eclipse during which the Moon appears to nibble away at the Sun. From France, there is no need to look up at the sky, the only way to enjoy the show will be to connect to the livestreams offered by the various YouTube channels such as Time And Date or NASA. They will offer live processing to enjoy the best images of the eclipse. For the lucky ones who will be there, there is no question of observing the Sun with the naked eye! Protective glasses will be essential to avoid damaging the fragile retina of our eyes. For those who will follow the event remotely, only a good internet connection will be necessary!