Solar eclipse 2024: When is the next solar eclipse and why is it significant?

Annual Solar Eclipse (Representative Image - Canva)

A celestial event is going to take place on Oct. 2, 2024. An annual solar eclipse will take place in parts of the South Pacific, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and Antarctica. Skygazer can watch this event happen on this day.

An annual solar eclipse happens when the moon is smaller than the sun and blocks it creating a solar disk and black region in the middle and orange boundaries around it where the sun peaks out creating a sun ring due to this region this phenomenon is also called as "ring of fire".

This solar eclipse will be visible for up to 6 hours, starting from 11:43 am (ET), 9:13 PM (IST) and ending at 5:47 am (ET), 3:17 PM (IST). The annular eclipse begins according to UTC timing it is 16:50 UTC.

Skygazer to watch the phenomenon occur needs to take precautions proper safety gadgets are required to witness this event happen.

NASA has explained this event according to them  Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth line up, either fully or partially.

During this event, the sun will be covered by 93% as it will be blocked by the Moon during the eclipse, and this results in a captivating “ring of fire” effect. The Hawaiian Islands have great importance due to the first shadow of the moon falling on Earth at that place forming a 205-mile-wide (331 kilometers) path and there the eclipse will last up to 5 minutes and 39 seconds.

During the phenomenon, the trajectory of the moon will begin about 1,056 miles (1,700 kilometers) southwest of the Hawaiian Islands at 16:54 UTC.