Ring of Fire” Solar Eclipse Set for Wednesday Viewing

AFP

Islamabad: An annual solar eclipse is set to create a spectacular “ring of fire” phenomenon visible in parts of South America on Wednesday.

This occurs when the Moon aligns between the Sun and the Earth, partially blocking the Sun’s light.

This year, the Moon will be positioned farther from the Earth than usual, allowing viewers in parts of Chile and Argentina to see “a kind of ring of light coming from the Sun,” according to Diego Hernandez, head of scientific dissemination at the Buenos Aires Planetarium.

He noted that observers will also see a “crescent sun” before and after the ring as the Moon moves in front of the Sun.

The eclipse’s path will begin in the North Pacific, traversing the Andes and Patagonia regions of Latin America before concluding in the Atlantic. The event will last over three hours, from 1700 to approximately 2030 GMT, as stated by NASA.

However, the “ring of fire” itself is expected to last only a few minutes, occurring around 1845 GMT, according to the IMCCE institute at France’s Paris Observatory.

A partial eclipse will be visible from Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, parts of Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and several islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, NASA added.

Space agencies and institutions have cautioned against observing the eclipse with the naked eye, as this can cause irreversible retinal damage. Ordinary sunglasses are insufficient for protection.

The recommended methods for safe viewing include using certified eclipse glasses or observing indirectly through a pinhole in a cardboard sheet that projects the image of the eclipsed Sun onto a second cardboard sheet.

The next partial solar eclipse is scheduled for March 29, 2025, primarily visible from western North America, Europe, and northwest Africa.