Clouds may obscure 'ring' eclipse in area
An annular solar eclipse creates a "ring of fire" around the moon, similar to what is seen in this image taken by the JAXA/NASA Hinode spacecraft. A "ring of fire" eclipse will take place Saturday across the U.S. and into Central and Southern America.
Image via science.nasa.gov
If you've missed the news, today marks the date of a rare "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse.
Although North Idaho isn't directly in the path of annularity, those who look to the skies with proper eclipse-viewing glasses should be in for a celestial treat. In Bonner County, the eclipse is slated to start at 8:10 a.m., maximize at 9:24 a.m., and conclude by 10:44 p.m., according to the U.S. Navy's online Solar Eclipse Computer.
Annular solar eclipses occur when the moon is near or at its farthest point from Earth. The sun won't be entirely blocked out by the small-looking moon as it passes between planet and star, thus creating a brilliant "ring of fire" effect of sunlight around the moon at the peak of the eclipse.
The eclipse will cross North, Central and South America and is expected to be seen by millions of people in the Western Hemisphere.
"For NASA, this eclipse provides a unique opportunity to study the sun, using this eclipse as a way to test and prepare scientific equipment for the total solar eclipse in April 2024," NASA said on its website, science.nasa.gov. "NASA will also launch sounding rockets during the eclipse to study changes in the atmosphere."
North Idaho will be in the 70-80% range of obscuration of the sun during the eclipse, according to NASA data.
Using lunar topography data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SELENE lunar orbiter, a map of the precise calculation of the location of the moon's shadow has been posted at science.nasa.gov/eclipses/media-resources. The path of annularity and partial visibility crossing the U.S. is shown to be over central and southern Oregon and stretches southeast to Texas, sweeping farther to the southeast.