The world's rare 'ring of fire' eclipse will be visible for people across parts of the United States this weekend.
The annular solar eclipse is set to take place Saturday, Oct, 14, according to NASA.
All lower 48 states will be able to view part of the eclipse which, according to the space agency, takes place when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, but the moon is at the furthest point away from Earth in its orbit. When it's further away, the moon isn't able to completely cover the sun, creating the 'ring of fire'.
The full annular solar eclipse officially starts in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and ends in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT.
Here's what how to safely watch it without damaging your eyes or potentially blinding yourself.
No.
According to NASA, it is never safe to look directly at the sun during an annular eclipse without specialized eye protection as you could permanently damage your eyes.
When watching an annular (or even partial) solar eclipse people should always look at it using approved solar viewing glasses (AKA eclipse glasses) or a handheld solar viewer.
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No.
Regular sunglasses do not count as eclipse glasses, NASA experts say. No matter how dark, regular sunglasses are not safe for looking directly at the sun.
"Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard," according to the space agency.
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The American Astronomical Society has a list of approved solar-eclipse glasses suppliers here.
According to space.com, ISO-approved glasses must meet the following requirements:
No.
Do not look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer
"The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury," according to NASA.
How to view the Annular Solar event:'Ring of fire' eclipse visible to the US in October
No.
Do not use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes to look at the sun.
However, your can use a special solar protector on the front of those objects. But NASA recommends seeking advice from experts including astronomers before using one.
If you do not have access to eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can make one using an indirect viewing method which does not involve looking directly at the sun.
NASA recommends creating a pinhole eclipse projector, which has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) which safely projects an image of the sun onto a surface nearby.
Here's how to safely make an eclipse viewer and how to use it:
You can view the eclipse for a short period of time without glasses.
But only during the period known as totality − when the sun is completely covered by the moon.
Depending on where you are, the totality could last about four minutes, according to NASA
As soon as even a tiny slice of the sun reappears after totality, NASA says, put your eclipse glasses back on or use your handheld solar viewer to relook at it.
When to see Saturday's eclipse:What time is the 'ring of fire' solar eclipse Saturday and where can you view it?
Additional tips for safely viewing an annular eclipse include:
The next total solar eclipse, according to NASA, will cross North America on April 8, 2024.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.