Ring of fire eclipse: Who will see it?

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Next week, a solar eclipse will be viewable by many in the United States, but what about us here in Massachusetts?

What makes this solar eclipse special is the ‘ring of fire’ look it’ll display to the state’s directly under the event. A ‘ring of fire’ occurs when the moon is at the farthest distance away from Earth during an eclipse, meaning it can’t fully cover the sun. This appears as a bright ring around the moon at the peak of the eclipse.

The annular solar eclipse will happen on Saturday, October 14 which will cross the United States from Oregon to Texas and will be partially viewable in 48 other states. Parts of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas will see the ‘ring of fire.’ The rest of the country will see a partial solar eclipse.

According to a map shared by NASA, Massachusetts will only see about a 20 percent solar eclipse.

It’s important to add that you should never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse. Eclipse glasses or solar viewers should be used. NASA will also have live coverage of the solar eclipse on its website on October 14.

Although we are not going to be able to see a full solar eclipse here in Massachusetts, we’ll have a better chance with another one in six months. A total solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024 and will cross from Texas to Maine.