On Wednesday (Oct. 2), a lucky handful of skywatchers watched the sun transform into a stunning “ring of fire” in the sky.
This was the result of a annular solar eclipse that crossed the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, southern Chile and southern Argentina. The “ring of fire” then reached the Atlantic Ocean, where it disappeared from view.
Since the annular eclipse begins and ends far from Earth, it is estimated that only 175,000 people, about 0.002% of the world populationlive in the path of the eclipse that allows a full view of the “ring of fire”.
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One of the most sought after places for the eclipse. It was remote Easter Islandor Rapa Nui as residents call it, where crowds of sky watchers from around the world gathered to observe the celestial event. Not even the threat of clouds could dampen his enthusiasm.
“Well, that was incredible. The tension! A cloud left the sun just 10 seconds before Baily's beads appeared, and another appeared a minute after the ring ended. We were VERY lucky!” eclipse chaser Jamie CarterUK-based science journalist and editor of When is the next eclipse.comhe told Space.com (where he is an occasional contributor) in an update from Easter Island. “It felt amazing to see the ring, knowing it was only a 50-50 chance. It was very cold in the minutes before the annulment.”
Also on Easter Island he was Josh Druryan astrophotographer also based in the United Kingdom who made eclipse chasing a family affair. His mother accompanied him on the trip.
“A lifelong ambition is almost complete,” Drury said via video update. “An annular solar eclipse, the “Pacific ring of fire”, from here on Rapa Nui.”
Drury watched the eclipse from near Easter Island's iconic Maoi statues and said it would be another 312 years before the island would see another celestial event like this one.
“I am overwhelmed to experience this eclipse with Martin Tuki, our late island guide, and my mom,” Drury said. “That's a summary of 312 years.”
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Carter said the entire experience was unforgettable.
“I think the two most dramatic moments are when the horned crescent sun turns into a ring and when it disappears, but the almost six minutes in between were magical,” he said. “I wanted to see the ring through eclipse glasses, but I was also focused on seeing and photographing a projection of the ring through the holes of a spaghetti spoon. Incredible! It's one of the few eclipse images I still had what to take.” “.
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More than 240 million people outside the annular path were able to see at least a portion of the Sun obscured by the Moon's dark disk. Those who couldn't see the event in person were able to enjoy the eclipse action with our eclipse live blog and live broadcast Courtesy of timeanddate.com.
This annular eclipse may not have been as striking as the total solar eclipse that crossed the continental United States on April 8, 2024But that didn't stop eclipse watchers from capturing some stunning videos and photos of this celestial event.
Annular solar eclipses differ from total solar eclipses because the orbit of the moon Around the Earth it is not a perfect circle and it moves closer and further away from our planet. That means that sometimes when it crosses between the sun and Earth, it is closer to our planet than at other times.
When the moon is closer to Earth and farther from the sun, the lunar disk is not large enough to completely obscure the solar disk as it does during a total eclipse. The result is a golden ring of fire around the dark disk of the moon. When the hidden disk of the Moon is completely surrounded by the solar disk, this is called an antumbra and observers experience a “ring of fire” that represents an annular eclipse.
On Wednesday, October 2, the annular eclipse began at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1542 GMT) over the Pacific Ocean. Regions of the world that experienced annularity after this included Easter Island, Cochrane in Chile, and Perito Moreno National ParkPuerto Deseado, Puerto San Julián in Argentina.
partial solar eclipse
Because the Moon is so close to the Earth, at least compared to the Sun, its position in the sky varies depending on the observer's position on Earth. That means skywatchers on either side of the annularity path didn't see a complete ring of fire, but they still got a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse.
In Chile, sky watchers in Punta Arenas could see the solar disk obscured by 75% by the moon, while observers in Villarrica saw it obscured by 62%. Eclipse watchers in Argentina saw the sun eclipsed by 72% in Ushuaia and darkened by 42% in Buenos Aires. Off the coast of Argentina, observers on the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean saw 84% of the solar disk covered by the lunar face.
Meanwhile, observers in São Paulo, Brazil, would have seen only 10% of the solar disk covered by the moon, making it look as if a huge bite had been taken out of the sun.
Upcoming solar eclipses
If you missed the annular eclipse on October 2 and the incredible images captured above whet your appetite, you won't have to wait too long to see the next solar eclipse.
A partial solar eclipse will sweep across northwest Africa, parts of Europe and northern Russia on March 29, 2025. Later that year, another partial solar eclipse will be visible on September 21 from parts of the South Pacific, New Zealand and the Antarctica.
If it's an annular eclipse you want to see, you'll have to wait a little longer, as the next “ring of fire” will appear over southern Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Antarctica on February 17, 2026.
The next The total eclipse will occur on August 12, 2026.and will be visible from North America, West Africa and Europe.
If you intend to capture any of these solar eclipses, remember that looking at the sun is harmful to your eyes and is NEVER It is safe to look directly at the sun without solar eclipse glasses Designed for solar screening. Read our guide at how to observe the sun safely.
