This weekend kicks off the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, and this year features an additional special solar event: a “ring of fire” new moon and solar eclipse.
Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth sits between the sun and a full moon, while solar eclipses happen when the new moon sits between the Earth and Sun. This weekend’s new moon won’t directly block the sun and will instead leave a red-orange ring of sunlight visible in its path. This is because the moon is too far from the Earth to block the sun completely.
This partial eclipse will pass through Africa and Asia primarily, so while those of us in the U.S. won’t be able to see anything, night owls can tune in to a virtual eclipse watch party at 1 a.m. EDT on Sunday morning, the next total solar eclipse will be visible in the US on Monday, April 8, 2024.
As it is a new moon and a new season, this is a good time to set new goals for yourself and wipe the slate clean.
