'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse on 14 October: Here's why it's special
The most fascinating astronomical event of 2023 will take place on 14 October, when an incredible celestial spectacle will illuminate the night sky.
For the first time since 2012, a partial solar eclipse with a "ring of fire" will be visible throughout most of the Americas on Saturday.
The moon will be in front of the sun on this day, blocking out much of it but leaving a bright ring, or annulus.
A fresh moon phase and a distance from the Earth great enough to make the Moon appear small are necessary for an annular eclipse to happen. As a result, it is impossible to totally obscure the Sun's disc.
Millions of people in the Western Hemisphere -- the US, Mexico and a few countries in South and Central America -- will be able to view this rare phenomenon.
The eclipse will last, on average, four to five minutes in the US at any given time.
This Saturday, the annular eclipse will pass from the Oregon coast to the Texas Gulf Coast.
According to NASA, the annular eclipse will be visible across Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of California, Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona, depending on the weather.
Then it will travel via Mexico and Central America, then South America. The eclipse will end near the Atlantic Ocean's sunset.
While the "ring of fire" solar eclipse will not be visible in India, observers can still watch it live on the NASA YouTube channel, which starts streaming at 4.30 pm.