Great news stargazers, the cosmos have more in store for us this year. Following the spectacular occurrence of the “blue” supermoon, an annular solar eclipse will take place this October, creating a breathtaking ring of fire effect in Houston skies.
Per NASA: an annular solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and earth at its farther point from the planet. The result effect is a Lord of the Rings-esque ring of fire effect that is something out of this world.
The annular solar eclipse takes place on October 14, 2023. Crossing North, Central, and South America the eclipse will be visible from the Oregon coast to the Gulf of Mexico, Texas not excluded. According to NASA, the eclipse will begin in Oregon at 11:13 am CDT and terminate in Texas at 12:03 pm CDT.
While there are plenty of places in Houston to watch the solar eclipse, we might recommend that you do so at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Here, visitors will also be able to explore the space center’s various installations, while also having the chance to meet with astronauts and sit in on expert speakers throughout the day.
On the date of the solar eclipse, NASA will be hosting an open house where experts will be on hand to discuss the eclipse in detail. Eclipse viewing glasses will also be provided for safe viewing.
On this note, the space organization strongly recommends that viewers wear the proper protection when watching the eclipse as it is, essentially, staring at the sun.
Annular solar eclipses happen once every couple years. The last annular eclipse occurred in June 2021. The next total eclipse won’t take place until April 8, 2024.