### Spectacular 'Ring of Fire' Eclipse to Grace Southern Hemisphere Skies on Oct. 2

On October 2, a captivating annular solar eclipse, commonly referred to as a "ring of fire" eclipse, will be visible from select regions of the southern hemisphere. As the moon passes directly in front of the sun, it will leave a brilliant ring of sunlight surrounding its silhouette, creating an awe-inspiring celestial spectacle.

The path of annularity, where the ring of fire phase occurs, will traverse multiple locations, including parts of the southern Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, southern Chile, southern Argentina, and the southern Atlantic Ocean. Other regions such as Central and southern South America, and Antarctica will witness partial phases of the event.

Annularity will commence at 16:50 UTC (12:50 p.m. EDT) and conclude at 20:39 UTC (4:39 p.m. EDT), covering a total duration of 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 40 seconds. During this period, the moon's umbra, its dark central shadow, will trace a roughly 165-mile-wide (266 kilometers) path across Earth, offering viewers along this trajectory an unparalleled view of the event.

Interestingly, the moon's shadow as it strikes Earth will vary in shape, stretching into an elongated oval before becoming more circular at the point of the greatest eclipse, and then elongating once again. To experience the ring of fire, observers must position themselves within the path of the moon's antumbra shadow, where the moon will appear completely enclosed by the sun's disk.

The point of the greatest eclipse, occurring over an empty expanse of ocean at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time (2:45 p.m. EDT or 18:45 GMT), will offer the longest duration of annularity at 7 minutes, 25 seconds. Here, the moon will be closest to Earth, and the celestial bodies will align perfectly, resulting in a 165-mile wide path of annularity.

As the eclipse begins just south of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean at sunrise, around 5:43 a.m. local time (11:43 a.m. EDT or 1543 GMT), the moon's shadow will be at its widest, spanning 206 miles (332 km), and the ring of fire will be visible for 5 minutes, 34 seconds. By the time the event concludes at sunset in the southern Atlantic Ocean at 5:39 p.m. local time (4:39 p.m. EDT or 20:39 UTC), the shadow will once again widen to 206 miles (332 km), with the ring of fire lasting 5 minutes, 41 seconds.

Observing this event requires caution. It is never safe to look directly at the sun without specially designed solar eclipse glasses. For those unable to witness the phenomenon in person, live coverage will be available online, allowing enthusiasts around the world to share in this extraordinary experience safely.