Ring of fire solar eclipse 14 Oct 2023

Ring of fire solar eclipse

Sky gazers and scientists have all been counting down to witness today"s annular solar eclipse which will pass over parts of the Americas. A solar eclipse is nothing more than an alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon that has the Earth passing through the Moon"s shadow. But why is the solar eclipse in today"s image different? It occurs when the Moon is farthest from the Earth because of its elliptical orbit. When this happens, it appears smaller, letting the sun"s brilliance peek through and creating a halo—the "Ring of fire". Viewers in specific regions can witness this cosmic show, but please be cautious. This eclipse should not be looked at directly without wearing specialised eye protection.

© Sorin Furcoi/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Gateway to Iberia
14 Oct 2024Coco Beach, Goa, India
14 Oct 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

A day for cousins of every stripe
23 Aug 2024Prasat Phanom Rung temple ruins, Thailand
3 Jul 2024World Meerkat Day
15 May 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
A wave of remembrance
This ‘snow’ never melts
Panoramic Penzance
Patchwork of peace
24 Mar 2025Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
A deadly coast
24 Jan 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Prehistoric trails
24 Jul 2025Happy Cousins Day!
Here we go!
31 Aug 2024Rocks and sand in the Sahara, Algeria
Bewitched by the fairy flower
A record-breaking reign
23 Aug 2025European fallow deer in England
Call of the wilderness
Just a pinch
Celebrating the tropics
Check out The Magic City of Miami
1 Feb 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Rügen, Germany
22 Sep 2024Autumn equinox
22 Jan 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Huddled and hunting
Angry bird, doting dad
Picture perfect
22 Apr 2025Earth Day
Autumn on Windermere