‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse sweeps across the United States
It is never safe to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, even when most of the sun is covered by the moon.
![Un eclipse de anillo de fuego recorre a Estados Unidos (Captura de pantalla YouTube la NASA)](https://imagenes.voz.us/files/image_large/uploads/2024/06/18/6671152810ff3.jpeg)
Un eclipse de anillo de fuego recorre a Estados Unidos (Captura de pantalla YouTube la NASA)
This weekend, an annular or “ring of fire” eclipse will sweep across the United States, from Oregon to Texas. This event occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun but appears too small to completely cover the sun's surface. The result is what appears to be a ring of fire in the sky, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (POT). "Everyone in the contiguous 48 states will have the opportunity to see at least a partial eclipse," the agency explained.
"NASA will host live coverage of the eclipse starting at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Also known as a ring of fire eclipse, an annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away than it is during a total solar eclipse, the Moon appears smaller and doesn’t block out the entire Sun when it passes in front of our star. Instead, the Moon leaves a bright ring of Sun visible at the eclipse’s peak, creating the ring of fire effect," NASA detailed.
The agency also explained that "because the Sun is never completely covered by the Moon, all eclipse watchers will need to use specialized solar filters or an indirect viewing method to safely observe the eclipse. … It is never safe to look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection, even when most of the Sun is covered by the Moon."
The live stream of the natural phenomenon can be seen here: