Leah Androski
ECB Publishing, Inc.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, there will be a chance to see a partial annular solar eclipse over North Florida and South Georgia.
“Annular” does not mean “annual.” Instead, annular means ring-shaped. In an annular solar eclipse, the Moon is too far away from Earth to cover all of the Sun; therefore, viewers will not see all of the Sun being blocked out. In an annular solar eclipse, the Moon is too small to cover all of the Sun, so that will create a ring-shape of sun around the Moon. Unlike a total eclipse, there will never be a time when the entire Sun is covered. Thus, those wanting to watch the annular solar eclipse will need to wear certified eye protection.
Everyone in the contiguous 48 states will have an opportunity to see some of the partial annular eclipse. The best states to see the partial annular solar eclipse are found in a 220-mile-wide path which covers areas from Oregon to Texas. In Monticello and Madison counties, the start time for the partial annular eclipse is 11:45 a.m., and the eclipse will then last until around 2:55 p.m.
For more information about the annular solar eclipse and the correct certified eye protection, visit eclipse2024.org/2023eclipse/2023_eclipse.html.