Find out when and where to watch the 2023 «Ring of Fire» solar eclipse when it happens later this year, including some virtual options.
Next month, thousands of people throughout the United States will be treated to a beautiful and rare “Ring of Fire” eclipse. It’s the only eclipse of its kind set to appear in 2023, and it will take place in mid-October. During the eclipse, the Moon will partially block the Sun’s light, only allowing a “ring of fire” to appear around it.
Annular solar eclipses like this are especially exciting because they create quite a spectacle in the sky. While it isn’t as drastic as the expected total eclipse of 2024, it will still create a beautiful scene you probably won’t want to miss.
When to watch the 2023 annular eclipse
So where exactly will this upcoming Ring of Fire eclipse hit, and when should you expect to look for it in the sky? The eclipse will kick off on October 14, 2023. Luckily, that’s on a Saturday, so it should hopefully be easy to work around other schedules if you want to see the eclipse for yourself. Like most sky-based events, how it looks will change much based on where you view it.
To get the most out of this upcoming annular solar eclipse, you will need to head to a small swath of the United States, though the main path will extend through parts of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Northeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and even Texas. Other places in the world, like Panama, Honduras, Belize, and Nicaragua, will also get glimpses of the Ring of Fire eclipse this October.
Parts of Brazil and Colombia will also get glimpses of the annular eclipse, though the path will eventually turn off, heading eastbound across the ocean. For a more thorough breakdown of where to see the eclipse, you can check out NASA’s report on the upcoming eclipse, which features some great visual maps from Great American Eclipse, LLC.
Want to see the Ring of Fire for yourself? Here’s a list of popular places within the main line of the eclipse that you can visit to see the eclipse and when it will reach the maximum eclipse.
