Solar Eclipse 2020: Know How To See 'Ring Of Fire' On Sunday

This weekend some parts of the world are going to witness the sun turn into a 'Ring of Fire' since it is not a complete eclipse and edges of the sun can still be seen around the Moon. The eclipse will start at around six hours after the June solstice, which occurs on Saturday, June 20, at 5:43 p.m. EDT (Sunday, June 21, 3:13 a.m. IST).

When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun then a total solar eclipse takes place. During an annular solar eclipse, the moon doesn't completely block out the sun, forming a ring of fire or ring of light. According to NASA, an annular eclipse can take place only under certain conditions. The moon will be in its first lunar phase and also be in its elliptical order farther away from Earth.

People in parts of China, Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, India, and Pakistan will be able to look at the full solar eclipse. The people of South Africa are the first to see the eclipse on Sunday, June 21 at 4:47 AM local time. People in a few parts of China are going to witness it last (i.e..) at 8:32 AM. A partial annular solar eclipse will also be visible in most parts of Asia, Southern and Eastern Europe and Northern Australia. Not using proper solar filters or eclipse glasses can result in permanent eye damage.

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) said on its solar eclipse safety website that “Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight."

The AAS further added that, “Do not look at the Sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer the concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.”

Alex Young, associate director for science in the heliophysics science division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said that, "Annular eclipses are similar to total eclipses in that the moon, Earth and sun are aligned so that the moon moves directly in front of the Sun as viewed from Earth. But a total eclipse does not happen, that is the moon does not completely block out the visible disk of the sun because the moon is farther away and so its apparent size in the sky is slightly smaller than the sun. This means that a tiny ring of annulus of the solar disk is visible around the moon."