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A Ring of Fire

Ivan Moreno

On Saturday, October 14th, people throughout the Western Hemisphere were able to experience a marvel in the sky. Many are familiar with the concept of a solar eclipse where the moon covers the sun, darkening our view and blocking the sun’s light for a brief time. An annular eclipse occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun align so that the moon is between us and the sun, like in a solar eclipse. However, in this case the moon happens to be at or near the farthest point it can be from the Earth. This happens because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly circular, but slightly elliptical, meaning the moon varies its distance from the Earth depending on the time. Logically, this causes it to look smaller from our perspective which in turn creates the fantastic “ring of fire” phenomenon, referring to the corona visible around the sun during an annular eclipse.


This year’s annular eclipse was visible to various degrees depending on your location in the Western Hemisphere. According to NASA, it was most clear in places following a line from Oregon to Texas in the US, down through parts of Mexico, continuing to Colombia, and ending in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. As Mexico City was not directly in line with the path of the eclipse, we were only able to see about 69% of the eclipse. However, other parts of Mexico such as the historic city of Mérida, Yucatan were able to view the eclipse at 90% of its maximum potential.


A woman views the eclipse in Mexico City, Mexico, Oct. 14, 2023 (Daniel Cardenas / Anadolu Agency / Getty)


A misconception is that annular eclipses occur annually, but the name actually comes from the annulus or ring of sunlight that appears around the moon. The next annular eclipse visible in the US will not occur until 2041, according to the National Park Service, but do not worry if you missed this one. Just next year, on April 8th, a total eclipse will be 75% visible in Mexico City.

A total eclipse, which more people are probably familiar with, occurs when the moon blocks the sun completely from our view. In this case, in the moment of totality, it is possible to view the event with your naked eye. However, if you are not able to see a total solar eclipse in totality, or if you aim to view an annular eclipse at all, it is important to wear protective eyewear to view the sun safely.


Safety is of utmost importance when viewing an eclipse. This does not just mean wearing sunglasses, which are not close to the safe level of darkness required for viewing. NASA suggests specialized eclipse glasses or solar viewers that comply with the international ISO 12312-2 standard. Another way to see an eclipse is to view it indirectly with a handheld solar viewer, which can be made at home.


Interestingly, Mexico’s ancient cultures have influenced people’s mindsets and given them certain superstitions surrounding eclipses. For example, the Aztecs believed that if a pregnant woman were to look at the sun during a solar eclipse, her children would be born with a cleft palate. This comes from their belief that a lunar eclipse occurs because of a bite being taken out of the moon, and so the children would be born with a “bite” taken out of their heads. Pregnant women can wear a safety pin(traditionally a knife or obsidian blade in Aztec times) or wear red underwear to protect against these curses. While there is obviously no evidence to support a connection between eclipses and cleft palates, it is always interesting to note how superstitions persist in cultures today.


Whether you managed to see this past eclipse or not, these stellar marvels are always worth viewing as long as the proper precautions are taken. Steeped in interesting science as well as cultural significance, eclipses are one of the key ways that humanity is reminded of its place in the stars, and they have the power to connect people all across the world.


Here is a gallery of some of Oct 14’s most impressive photos.

The moon directly in front of the sun, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 14, 2023

(Sam Wasson/Getty)


Brasilia, Brazil, October 14, 2023 (Adriano Machado/Reuters)


Winnemucca, Nevada, October 14, 2023 (Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency / Getty)

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