A Special Sun Show: Seeing a Ring of Fire in South America

Get ready, South America! On Wednesday, something awesome is happening. The sun and the moon are lining up in a way that creates a "ring of fire" effect in the sky. This isn't your ordinary eclipse; it’s called an annular solar eclipse. It happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, but unlike a total eclipse, the moon is too far away to completely cover the sun. Instead, you see a bright ring around the dark circle of the moon.This incredible sight will be visible from some special places like Easter Island, Chile, and Argentina. But remember, it’s not safe to look directly at the sun without proper protection. You need eclipse glasses or a solar viewer to watch this safely. The show starts at 12:50 p. m. ET and ends at 4:39 p. m. ET, with the peak happening around 2:45 p. m. ET. Think about it - the sun is way bigger than the moon, but from our perspective here on Earth, they can look about the same size during an eclipse. Isn't that cool? This "ring of fire" will first be seen over Easter Island at 3:07 p. m. ET and then move to Chile and Argentina. Even the Falkland Islands and South Georgia might catch a partial glimpse!