'Ring of fire' solar eclipses will become extremely common in future. Here's why
All solar eclipses to appear as 'rings of fire' in future
In the coming time, all solar eclipses will appear as 'rings of fire.' According to a report by Space.com, therewill be a time when the phenomenon of a total eclipse of the sun will become impossible because the moonseen from the Earthwill be too small in apparent angular size to cover the disk of the sun completely.
A similar solar eclipse is expected to rise this coming weekend (Saturday, Oct14), when billions of people will witness the annular eclipse in which a ring of sunlight is vowed around the moon's image at the midpoint in the spectacle. The eclipse will only be partially visible in the United States.Cities that will witness this "ring of fire" effect include Eugene, Winnemucca, NV, Albuquerque, San Antonio and Corpus Christi.
The sky will not get darker and the sun will not be completely hidden, because the moon will be 4.5 days past apogee, the farthest from Earth. This new moon eclipse will be 246,707 km away. As a result, the tip of the moon's dark umbral shadow cone fails to make contact with the Earth by nearly 12,000 miles. So, the moon will appear too small to cover the sun.
Why is this happening?
The moon moves around the Earth in an elliptical orbit. It can reach its absolute closest range to Earth within 356,371 km, while its farthest from the Earth is 406,702km. The mean distance between Earth and the moon is 384,748 km.
)
Was Jeffrey Epstein really involved in cannibalism? Here's what DOJ files reveal
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How can the USS Abraham Lincoln go more than 20 years without refueling?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Locked and loaded': After USS Abraham Lincoln, US mobilises missile launchers in Qatar
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Both Israel and Iran want a deal': Trump's BIG statement after Tehran warns US against Netanyahu's 'destructive' influence on nuclear talks
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT Releases this week (February 9-15, 2026): Kohrra to The Conjuring- Watch these 7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Sex crazed Bashar al-Assad had lover arrange wives of his officers, spent hours playing Candy Crush
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
‘I loved the torture video’: Who is the DP World CEO named in Epstein files
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Jesse Strang: 'Biologically male', guns at home, behavioural issues - 5 claims on alleged Canada shooter
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Who was Jesse Strang, alleged transgender suspect in Canada’s mass shooting? Here’s what reports claim
However, for a total eclipse to occur, the dark shadow cone of the moon must make contact with the Earth's surface. This means that the tip of the shadow cone on average needs to be about 130km in width. Anywhere within this width, a total eclipse will occur, where the dark side of the moon will cover the disk of the sun.
But, the cone of the moon's shadow on average is 378,000 km in length, which is less than the moon's mean distance.
This is why a new moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, which is greater than 378,000 km away; thus umbral shadow fails to make contact with Earth resulting in this phenomenon.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
