MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Annular Solar Eclipse will be overhead Saturday, October 14th!
At 11:40a.m.-2:15p.m. the Annular Eclipse, a specific type of eclipse that occurs when the moon is at it’s furthest point from the earth, will be happening.
This “ring of fire” eclipse get’s it’s name from the image it puts off when you are in full eclipse path. The moon will almost completely cover the sun, leaving a ring of yellow or orange light surrounding it.
“Marquette is in-between the 30-40% coverage area,” says Dave Donovan, Northern Michigan Universities Physics Department Head. “So you will see a black disc that will move across the bottom of the sun.”
Individuals hoping to see the eclipse, should be warned NOT to look directly at it due to the possibility of retinal damage. Some ways you can safely view this eclipse include having solar eclipse glasses, solar filters for a looking device, or by simply making a pinhole camera.
“It’s never good to look at the sun without protection,” says Donovan. “That’s just a bad idea.”
This Specific type of eclipse will not be seen in our area again until 2046. Although we will not see the “ring of fire” for a while, another solar eclipse will be hitting Marquette on April 8th, 2024. This eclipse will be much easier for residents to see due to the U.P. being in about the 79% coverage area.
