Science

Skywatchers, Get Ready for the ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse Expected This Sunday With United States Seeing Partial Eclipse

Annular solar eclipse captured in 2005. (Photo: Wikimedia)

The world recently experienced a fascinating lunar event — the largest supermoon of 2012. Following up on that, there will soon be an interesting solar occurrence. Skywatchers in the western United States and eastern Asia should gear up to catch the solar eclipse this Sunday.

(Related: Here are some of the best snapshots of Saturday‘s ’supermoon’…including pics from Blaze readers)

Space.com reports that the May 20 event will block out nearly all of the sun in some areas, creating a “ring of fire” in the sky. In areas most affected by the annular eclipse, 94 percent of the sun will be blocked. The western U.S. and Canada will mostly be exposed to a partial eclipse and the East Coast is missing out completely because the sun will have already set.

Annular Solar Eclipse Expected This Sunday With United States Seeing Partial Eclipse

This map shows who in the United States will see the eclipse. (Image: NASA/JPL, Jane Houston Jones via Space.com)

Watch this video to learn more about the annular eclipse:

If you are going to view the eclipse, it is recommended you not look directly at the sun. Space.com reports that your everyday sun glasses are not strong enough to protect your eyes from the rays, but welders glasses and safe solar telescopes are. It also suggests this method:

The safest and simplest technique is perhaps to watch the eclipse indirectly with the solar projection method. Use your telescope, or one side of your binoculars, to project a magnified image of the sun’s disk onto a shaded white piece of cardboard.

The image on the cardboard will be safe to view and photograph. Be sure to cover the telescope’s finder scope or the unused half of the binoculars, however, and don’t let anybody look through them.

The Blaze received a great response from readers when it asked for your images of the supermoon in earlier this month. If you happen to take any photographs — safely — of the solar eclipse, send them our way.

Comments (68)

1 2
  • moussiagilda
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:59pm

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

    Report Post »  
  • Chris2
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:20pm

    “Sun sets before eclipse can begin”

    Well sun it’s not like I wanted to watch you or anything! Stupid sun!

    Report Post »  
  • alexegz30
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:56pm

    Another celestial event? That coupled with the super moon and the coming galactic alignment makes me think that there are big things happening all around us this year and most of us might just miss the events without batting an eye, despite the once in a lifetime significance. (Or, like the alignment, once in 25,800 years.)

    http://www.2012wiki.com/index.php?title=Galactic_Alignment

    Report Post »  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:53pm

      Yes don’t forget Venus transit on June 5th/6th 2012. Won’t happen again until 2117. Lat time it happened was waaay back in 2004 but before that back in the 1900s then prior in the 1800s. Its not often in other words. With the Sun going kickboxing style lately, who knows what these alignments may cause?

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
    • christopher.duncan2388
      Posted on May 19, 2012 at 10:00pm

      My guess?… Nothing

      Report Post » christopher.duncan2388  
  • UseReasonNotMagic
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:37pm

    If your in the east like me and wont be able to see this event, you can watch it live! Panasonic will be streaming video of the event live from Mt Fuji on 1005 solar power.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jec8_TERjBY

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:17pm

    Mexican food always gives me the ring of fire.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:51pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko And Here is the link to the theme song we shall be playing.

    Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
  • waring850
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:24pm

    I fell in to a burning Ring of Fire. i went down, down, down and the flames went higher, and it burns, burns, burns. The Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire………..

    Report Post » waring850  
  • okredstate
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:17pm

    In the movie Apocalypto, the evil ruler sat on top of the pyramid knowing that the sun was going into eclipse, and that it would also come out of it. He used it for political gain, just like the slob currently residing in the white house. I would rather take my chances with the Mayan ruler than obama, at least with him, death was immediate. Although, they both look about the same……evil

    Report Post »  
  • midnightvelvet
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:08pm

    Gee Blaze, how about some sort of link to the time you can see it at your particular location? Huh?

    Report Post »  
    • Dr Vel
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:07pm

      The Blaze is intended only for those who are not too lazy and/or too stupid to look things up for themselves.

      Report Post »  
  • wisehiney
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:02pm

    Looks like bawney fwanks butt.

    Report Post »  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:46pm

    Acts 2:20

    The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
    • Blacktooth
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:19pm

      A little more context:

      16 On the contrary, this is what was said through the prophet Joel, 17 ‘“And in the last days,” God says, “I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters will prophesy and YOUR young men will see visions and YOUR old men will dream dreams; 18 and even upon my men slaves and upon my women slaves I will pour out some of my spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 And I will give portents in heaven above and signs on earth below, blood and fire and smoke mist; 20 the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and illustrious day of Jehovah arrives. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”’ – Acts 2:16-21

      Report Post » Blacktooth  
    • Cesium
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:25pm

      “Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire

      Report Post »  
    • Blacktooth
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:50pm

      Cesium,

      I agree with that.

      Report Post » Blacktooth  
  • PETTYDRAMA
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:33pm

    Yep. The apocalyptic religious nuts are already out on this story…haha!

    Report Post » PETTYDRAMA  
    • 3monkeysmomma
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:36pm

      Me: (a few days ago) Hey, boys, This article says scientists say a rare SOLAR ECLIPSE willl occur on Sunday afternoon and be visable from Arizona. Isn’t that interesting?

      My seven year old: (Yesterday at show and tell) My mom says the APOCALYPSE will occur on Sunday afternoon.

      Actually, he told me that’s what he was GOING to say just as he was exiting the vehicle so I was able to head him off…but can you imagine the phone call I would have gotten?!!!!!

      Report Post » 3monkeysmomma  
  • freddyjoe
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:04pm

    We get the full eclispe in Northern California.

    Report Post »  
  • Mainer forever
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:38am

    Darn!!! I won’t be able to see this. Hope to see some great pics from all you guys!!

    Report Post » Mainer forever  
  • SquareHead
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:32am

    WOW ! This was a great informative video from NASA. Could there be that they do provide some value still. Their main accomplishment, besides inventive silly putty was the fictional Apollo Missions. They made for great for propaganda.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JchQh3-Bma8

    Report Post »  
  • judyaz
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:26am

    “There will be signs in the heavens….portents….”

    Report Post » judyaz  
    • Blacktooth
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:27pm

      That is from Luke 21:25
      This is Jesus’ prophecy about the “last Days” and what would (is) to happen in our generation. – Luke 21:1-38

      Report Post » Blacktooth  
    • Cesium
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:00pm

      I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves -Galatians 5:12

      Report Post »  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:37am

    In the early centuries, the only learned-ones were the king and a chosen few. When the king wanted his “people” to do smething they deffinately didnot want to do, He-The-King would tel the “pleebes” that: “I will ask my god(s) to make the sky as black as day, and the sun will turn into a ring of god…if you don’t do(__fill-in-blank__). I WILL make this happen exactly on (fill-in-date from my astronimer), just to prove I am all powerful.” Ovecourse, it happens JUST as King predicts, and the pleebes obey. The Progressives were “alive-and-well” back then, too! They always [control-by-chrysis] .

    Report Post »  
    • Puddle Duck
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:16pm

      Chrysler was in chrisis and if not the actions of the chosen on (the almightly Zero the Omnipotent) the US auto industry would have fallen into the abyss. Funny how the auto industry only comprises GMC & Chrysler in the narrow progressive view leaving out Ford, M Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and a few others all of which have a significant manufacturing base in the USA…..but I digress…the sky was falling back in 08.

      Report Post » Puddle Duck  
  • NSDQ
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:05am

    …The sun became as dark as black cloth

    Report Post » NSDQ  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 9:32am

    Keep an eye out for the U.F.O.!

    Report Post » Tigress1  
    • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:13am

      Don’t forget to buy new sneakers, drink the Kool-Aid, and go to bed to wait for the transporter beam to lock onto you.

      Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
    • RLTW
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:21am

      I thought Scotty was still working on the transporters?

      Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:54pm

      I just hope they don’t beam Timmy back DOWN.

      But, I wouldn’t blame them if they did. : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • ahberns
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:36pm

      The-Monk
      They would need to beam Timmy up after all he is in the well. Lassie said so Arf arf.

      Report Post »  
  • Annika2011
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:53am

    Too bad it won’t be visible in my area.
    Last solar eclipse I saw produced this amazing phenomena:
    The shadow of each little leaf of a tree on the sidewalk showed the
    entire eclipse. I never heard an explanation for this, but it was
    great viewing.

    Report Post »  
    • EdgeOfForever
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 9:18am

      Annika, when I was in my late teens in the 80s, we had a solar eclipse and I remember the same thing happening. It was such an eerie feeling too as it was nearly dark in the middle of the day.

      Report Post » EdgeOfForever  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:24am

      Look-up [PIN-HOLE EFFECT.] and [PINHOLE CAMERA]. YOU didn’t LEARN that in early-gradeschool general-science-class?? Oh that’s right…1) You were the one who was kicked-out for smashing all the equipment in the lab-room, and they gave you “study-hall” instead. 2) or YOU were in one of those “feelgood” prog/commie schools, where classes of math and science are toooo much like learning FACTS…oh, I know it’s tooooooo hard…we’ll just replace them with sex-ed and “feelgood-ism”, so ypouwon’t hoit-ed yo’ brain.

      Report Post »  
    • Melika
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:06am

      @ G-Whiz: That is an inappropriate and uncalled-for comment, a hole.

      Report Post »  
    • TexasHunter
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:31am

      G WHIZ I wonder why you have not won a Nobel prize yet? Or better question what have you done in your lifetime to contribute to society? Obviously you had a crush on your high school science teacher. I think it is about time you write him a letter and tell him your true feelings. You are becoming to depressed about the matter. If you want to demise someone maybe you should look in the mirror. Now it is time for your nap. Sweet dreams little one.

      Report Post » TexasHunter  
    • ahberns
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:50pm

      Melika
      The only time some comment is uncalled for or inappropriate is if the statement is untrue. In the comments that G-Whiz said were not only true but extremely appropriate.

      Report Post »  
  • oldsoldier10
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:49am

    After the burito supreeme yesterday, I now know the RING-O-FIRE!

    Report Post » oldsoldier10  
  • lukerw
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:38am

    Omen… of the NATO Protests in Chicago!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:49pm

      That’s what I was thinking. OWS might take this as a sign or take advantage of the darkness.

      I just hope this event doesn’t bring Timmy back. : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • ShawnB
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:18pm

      Ugh its not just OWS but this is the anti-globalist too and the anti NATO people too that will be the main issue

      Report Post »  
  • RRFlyer
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:29am

    I really get tired of every time I read something it spends half the article telling us not to do this or that.
    WHen did people stop thinking for themselves? IF they had a carpeting article it would tell us not to hit our heads with the hammer as it may cause pain. Don’t eat the nails. A cooking article. Caution don’t hold your hand in the fire or drink boiling water.
    It’s all part of the PC Crap. Let someone else think for us.

    Report Post »  
    • Puddle Duck
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:22pm

      Blame it on the damned lawyers and the part of the populace that seeks to lay blame anywhere but where it belongs.

      Report Post » Puddle Duck  
  • NOTAMUSHROOM
    Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:31am

    Did you know that OBlahblah‘s accomplishments have eclipsed every other President’s before him?

    Report Post »  
    • miln40
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:42am

      Do you know how to make comments relevant to the content above? You probably didn’t even read the article.

      Report Post »  
    • DoomsdayProphet
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:44am

      So much so he needs to brag himself up in their accomplishments section on white house site…soon he will replace them with his name he did everything.

      Report Post »  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:45am

      Well, if that is true then I will turn arond and salute him…with my supermoon.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
    • B_rad
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:12am

      It’s cliche by now, but I can’t resist: If Obama had a sun, it would look like this eclipse.

      Report Post » B_rad  
    • biohazard23
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:40am

      Did you know that before Obummer there was no sun or moon, right or wrong, darkness and light? :)

      Report Post » biohazard23  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:27am

      looks-like that halo thet Timemag had for Oblah-blah, on the front cover…cause he’s the first gay-president.

      Report Post »  
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