Solar eclipse 2023: Surya Grahan date, timings and how to watch

The annular solar eclipse 2023 will not be visible in India (File photo)

A solar eclipse or surya grahan will take place on October 14, 2023. Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun and temporarily blocks its light. Today’s solar eclipse will be an annular solar eclipse, also known as ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse (“annular” means “ring-shaped” in Latin).

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from earth. According to NASA, because the moon is farther away from earth, it appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the sun. It only covers the centre of the sun, leaving the outer edges visible like a ring.

Annular solar eclipse October 2023

The solar eclipse occurring today will not be visible in India. It will begin at 11.29 pm IST and last for about five minutes, ending at 11.34 pm IST.

The solar eclipse will be visible in large parts of North America. The eclipse is due to be visible along a path covering parts of the United States, Mexico and several countries in Central America and South America.

In the U.S., the annular solar eclipse begins in Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PDT and ends in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT, according to NASA.

How to watch the solar eclipse

While the annular solar eclipse of October 14 will not be visible in India, you can watch NASA's livestream on YouTube.

Celestial events in October

October 2023 will be a rare month that will witness both a solar and a lunar eclipse. The two celestial events will take place at a gap of two weeks. The lunar eclipse on October 29 will be the second lunar eclipse of the year.

Besides this, skywatchers can also witness the Orionid meteor shower this month. According to Jake Foster, a Royal Observatory public astronomy officer, the Orionids will peak this year on October 21 (October 22 in India) between midnight and dawn, with a maximum of 25 shooting stars every hour.