You may be able to spot a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse this weekend
On January 4, 2011, the Hinode satellite captured these breathtaking images of an annular solar eclipse. (NASA/Hinode/XRT/)This Sunday, June 21st, if you’re in central Africa, Asia, or the Middle East, don’t forget to look up at the sky (with the proper protection)—you’re in for a fiery celestial show.At 3:45 UTC, a “ring of fire” will rise in the sky, caused by an annular solar eclipse—a spectacle that only happens once every one or two years when the moon is farthest away in its orbit. The more familiar full solar eclipse happens when the moon is closer to Earth, appearing larger and smothering the sun’s brightness completely. But the smaller, more distant moon in an annular solar eclipse only partially covers the sun, creating a flaming, silhouetted ring.At the peak of this eclipse, 99.4% of the sun will be hidden by the moon, and the resultant ring of fire will be...