A "Ring of Fire" Solar Eclipse Will Be Visible in North America for the First Time in 11 Years—Here's How and When to See It

From overlapping meteor showers to a series of supermoons, summer has been a spectacular season for space lovers. And with fall just around the corner, stargazers are in for more incredible celestial events. On October 14, a rare annular solar eclipse will be visible from eight states in the United States. 

Also known as the "ring of fire," an annular solar eclipse is different from a total solar eclipse. According to NASA, the rare phenomenon occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth while it's at its farthest point from the planet—resulting in a blacked-out circle and fiery rim (hence the name!).

For the first time in 11 years, this type of eclipse will be visible in North America. It last made an appearance in 2012 when the ring of fire crossed over the U.S. Southwest, Space.com reports. This year, the eclipse begins on October 14 in Oregon and crosses through Northern California, Nevada, Utah, northeastern Arizona, southwestern Colorado, and New Mexico before it ends in Texas. From there, it will travel to Central America and South America, NASA reports. 

To view the eclipse, stargazers must be in the 125 mile path of annularity. If you're not on the path (which stretches from Oregon to Texas) you'll only see a partial eclipse. The closer you are to the center of the path, the longer the ring of fire will last. During this year's annular solar eclipse, the moon will cover up 91 percent of the sun. Viewers of the ring of fire should wear eclipse glasses during the entirety of the event.

If you're unable to reach the path, you can watch the rare phenomenon on several webcasts that are streaming the event, including San Francisco's Exploratorium and on TimeandDate.com.