Days after people were treated to the brilliance of a blood moon, supermoon, and a total lunar eclipse combined into one, another celestial phenomenon is right around the corner. Stargazers will get to witness the ‘Ring of Fire’ around the Sun later this month as the first solar eclipse of 2021 takes place on June 10.
The rare sight will happen when the Sun, Moon and the Earth align together to form a vibrant coloured ring around the Moon as it covers the Sun. The annular solar eclipse will last for over an hour.
What is a ring of fire?
During a solar eclipse, the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth creating a visual phenomenon as it moves between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight. As the Moon covers the centre of the Sun, the edges emit a glowing halo creating an illuminated ‘ring of fire’. The June 10 solar eclipse will be visible to stargazers in several countries.
During this solar eclipse, the moon will fail to completely cover the Sun as the distance between the Earth and the Moon is always changing due to the latter’s elliptical, oval orbit. This is also the reason why we witness a supermoon and why sometimes the Moon appears smaller or larger than usual.
There are three types of solar eclipses — total, partial and annular. An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is farthest from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away, it seems smaller. It does not block the Sun entirely. According to Nasa, during a solar eclipse, the Moon casts two shadows on Earth. The phenomenon happens every 18 months somewhere on Earth and unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses last only a few minutes.
Where to watch Ring of Fire?
The June 10 ring of fire or the annular solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Greenland, North-Eastern Canada, the North Pole and some parts of Russia. Meanwhile, Europe, North America, Asia, Arctic and Atlantic regions will witness a partial solar eclipse.
India will not be able to witness the rare cosmic phenomenon.
According to reports, the eclipse will begin in Canada, northern Ontario and on the north side of Lake Superior. The ring of fire will be visible in Canada for about three minutes, while in Greenland it will occur when the solar eclipse reaches its peak following which it will be seen in Siberia and the North Pole. While the US will miss out on the ring of fire, people on the East Coast and in the Upper Midwest will get a chance to see a partial solar eclipse just after sunrise.
