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NASA’s Hinode satellite captured this stunning image of the annular solar eclipse on January 4, 2011. Credit: NASA/Hinode/XRT
On Thursday, June 10, 2021, people across the Northern Hemisphere will have the opportunity to experience an annular or partial solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth, casting a shadow on the earth, completely or partially blocking sunlight in some areas. During an annular eclipse, the Moon is far enough from the Earth that the Moon appears smaller than the Sun in the sky. Since the moon does not completely block the sun’s view, it will appear as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk. This creates what looks like a ring of fire around the moon. People in parts of Canada, Greenland and northern Russia will experience the annular eclipse.
Annular solar eclipse on May 20, 2012. Credit: Dale Cruikshank
In some places, viewers will not be able to see this ring around the moon. Instead, they will experience a partial solar eclipse. This happens when the Sun, Moon, and Earth do not line up perfectly. The sun will appear to have a dark shadow on only part of its surface. Viewers in parts of the eastern United States and northern Alaska will see a partial solar eclipse on June 10, along with much of Canada, parts of the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
In the United States, a partial eclipse will be visible along parts of the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and northern Alaska. At many of these locations, the eclipse will occur before, during, and shortly after sunrise. This means that viewers will need to have a clear view of the horizon during sunrise in order to see the eclipse.
Visualization of the moon’s shadow during the annular solar eclipse on June 10, 2021 showing the antumbra (black oval), semi-shadow (concentric shaded ovals) and annular path (red) Images of the Sun show its appearance at a number of locations, each oriented toward the local horizon. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio / Ernie Wright
To see when the eclipse may be visible in certain areas, you can click anywhere on the map here. (Note that the maximum dimming and maximum eclipse timing observed in this map may occur before sunrise in many locations.)
This map of the eclipse path shows where the annular and partial solar eclipses will occur on June 10, 2021. Click to enlarge. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio / Ernie Wright
Download this fact sheet to learn more about eclipses, how to watch them safely, and fun solar eclipse activities: Solar Eclipse Fact Sheet
How to watch an annular or partial eclipse safely
It is never safe to look directly at the sun’s rays, even if the sun is partially or mostly obscured. When viewing a partial solar eclipse or annular solar eclipse, you should wear sunglasses or eclipse glasses throughout the entire eclipse if you want to face the sun. Sunglasses or eclipses are not ordinary sunglasses; Ordinary sunglasses are not safe for watching the sun.
This time interval shows an annular eclipse as seen by JAXA’s Hinode satellite on January 4, 2011. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon, slightly further from Earth than average, moves directly between Earth and the Sun and thus appears slightly smaller to observers. eyes; The effect is a bright ring, or ring of sunlight, around the silhouette of the moon. credit: NASA
If you don’t have sunglasses or eclipse glasses, you can use an alternative, indirect method, such as a pinhole projector. Pinhole projectors should not be used to look directly at the sun, but instead to project sunlight onto the surface. Read a how-to guide for creating a hole viewer.
Stay safe and continue enjoying the stellar sun shows by creating your own piercing viewer with a few simple supplies. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
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