When is the next solar eclipse? For the U.S., it’s Saturday, March 29, 2023, when a partial solar eclipse will be visible in the far northeast and from Europe (here’s a map). However, the next solar eclipse on Earth is Wednesday, October 2, when an annular solar eclipse—a “ring of fire”—will be visible from the Pacific Ocean, Chile and Argentina.
Mysterious Moai
While most of the 8,800-mile (14,000-kilometer) long eclipse path will be over empty ocean, it will cross Rapu Nui (Easter Island), one of the most remote and alluring locations on Earth. Known for its 1,000 moai—huge monolithic basalt human figures carved between the years 1,250 and 1,500—the tiny island is 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) from the coast of Chile.
Occurring precisely 177 days after April 8’s total solar eclipse in North America, this one will be experienced by far fewer people. While over 45 million experienced totality that day, this “ring of fire” will be seen by a maximum of 175,000 people, according to Timeanddate. Rapa Nui has a population of just 7,750, while the path crosses some very remote regions of Patagonia in Chile and Argentina.
Annular Vs. Total
This eclipse will be similar to October 14’s eclipse, which was seen from parts of nine U.S. states, as well as Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.
An annular solar eclipse is very different from a total solar eclipse. Instead of blocking the sun, the new moon only blocks the center of its disk, causing a ring of light around the moon. This happens because the moon is slightly farther from Earth, so it appears to be smaller, and it must be viewed through solar filters (eclipse glasses) at all times.
How To Get There
While relatively few eclipse chasers travel to see annulars, the chance to visit a destination like Rapa Nui makes this one different. Several organized tours will take travelers to Rapa Nui, including AstroTrails, TravelQuest, Sky & Telescope, Eclipse Traveler and Ring Of Fire Expeditions. Rapa Nui is a five-hour flight from Santiago, Chile. From the south of the island, the “ring of fire” will last for around 6 minutes 28 seconds while 67 degrees above the north, during which 93% of the sun’s disk will be obscured. Eclipse chasers will likely gather at sites such as Ahu Tongariki, Orongo and Ahu Nau-Nau.
The “ring of fire” will also be seen lower in the sky, from Chile (Cochrane and just south of Chile Chico) and Argentina (Perito Moreno National Park, Puerto Deseado and Puerto).
When Is The Next Eclipse?
The following annular solar eclipse will take place on February 17, 2026, but it will only be visible in a remote part of Antarctica. Exactly a lunar year later, on February 6, 2027, a “ring of fire” lasting 7 minutes and 51 seconds will be visible from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and then cross the Atlantic to become a sunset “ring of fire” as seen from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
The next total solar eclipse will occur on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, and will be visible from parts of Siberia in Russia, eastern Greenland, western Iceland, and northern Spain.
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