According to NASA’s webpage, on Saturday, October 14, an annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America. It will begin in Oregon and end in Texas. There will be between a 70-80% coverage area in Northwest Louisiana. The eclipse will begin locally around 10:28am with maximum coverage at approximately 11:59am. The event should end about 1:38pm.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon doesn’t completely cover the Sun, leaving a “ring of fire” around the moon. During an annular eclipse, the Sun, moon, and Earth are perfectly aligned, but the moon is at its farthest point away from Earth. This larger distance prevents the moon from entirely blocking out our view of the Sun. Instead, we still see a ring of light around the edge of the moon. 

CAUTION: It is never safe to look directly at the Sun during an annular eclipse without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. The sun is never completely blocked by the moon during this type of eclipse therefore it is not safe to look directly at it. Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing it either.

The American Astronomical Society suggests a few households items you can use that will allow you to view the eclipse. With the Sun behind you, pass sunlight through a small opening–a hole punched in an index card and project the solar image onto a nearby surface like a wall or the ground. A pasta colander also can be used, even a straw hat or anything else with a bunch of small holes in it. During the partial phases of a solar eclipse, these images will reveal the Sun’s crescent shape.

---