FLORENCE – A “ring of fire” will appear in the sky Saturday morning as an annular eclipse of the sun will be visible in North Alabama.
The University of North Alabama Planetarium will have programs about the eclipse at 7 p.m. today and 5 and 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Weather permitting, the planetarium will host an eclipse viewing Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with solar projectors, telescopes, and eclipse glasses.
“An annular eclipse takes place when the moon is a little further away from the Earth than
average so that it is smaller in the sky and does not completely cover the sun,” said Dr. Mel
Blake, the associate professor of physics and astronomy and director of the UNA Planetarium. “The result is that there remains a ring of the sun not covered by the moon. This is why the annular eclipses are sometimes called a ‘ring of fire.’
“The southwestern United States is favored for this eclipse and will see the ring of fire.”
Most of the country will see a partial solar eclipse of varying amounts depending on how the distance from the eclipse path. Florence will experience 66% of the sun blocked by the moon at maximum eclipse.
Around the state, the eclipse will begin around 10:35 a.m., reach maximum eclipse at about 12:05 p.m., and end at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The easiest way to view the eclipse is to take a piece of cardboard and cut a hole in it; then take a piece of aluminum foil over it. Take a needle and put a little hole in it. The pinhole will show the shape of the eclipse on the ground or a piece of paper. You can also use eclipse glasses, which are designed for viewing the sun.
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