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Ring of Fire: The First Solar Eclipse of 2021 to Take Place on June 10

The rare sight will appear when the Sun, Moon and the Earth align together to form a vibrant coloured ring around the Moon as it covers the Sun

Sentinel Digital Desk

When the Moon on May 26, appeared closest to the Earth, which is popularly known as the Super Moon, another celestial phenomenon is right around the corner. Research said that astronomers will get to witness the 'Ring of Fire' around the Sun later this month as the first solar eclipse of 2021 takes place on June 10.

The rare sight will appear when the Sun, Moon, and the Earth align together to form a vibrant coloured ring around the Moon as it covers the Sun. It is to be mentioned that the annular solar eclipse will last for over an hour.

The Moon, during a solar eclipse, casts a shadow on the Earth creating a visual phenomenon as it moves between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight. As the Moon covers the centre of the Sun, the edges emit a glowing halo creating an illuminated ring of fire.

According to the research, the June 10 solar eclipse will be visible to astronomers in several countries. During this solar eclipse, the Moon will fail to completely cover the Sun as the distance between the Earth and the Moon is always changing due to the Moon's elliptical and oval orbit.

Solar eclipses are of three types –

• total

• partial

• annular

An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is far from the Earth. As the Moon is far away, it seems smaller. It does not block the Sun entirely. NASA said that during a solar eclipse, the Moon casts two shadows on Earth. The phenomenon happens every 18 months somewhere on Earth and unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses last only a few minutes.

According to NASA, the June 10 ring of fire or the annular solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Greenland, North-Eastern Canada, the North Pole, and some parts of Russia. Europe, North America, Asia, Arctic, and Atlantic regions will witness a partial solar eclipse. India will not be able to witness the rare cosmic phenomenon.

The eclipse will begin in Canada, northern Ontario, and on the north side of Lake Superior. The ring of fire will be visible in Canada for about three minutes, while in Greenland, it will occur when the solar eclipse reaches its peak after which it will be seen in Siberia and the North Pole. While the US will miss out on the ring of fire, people on the East Coast and in the Upper Midwest will get a chance to see a partial solar eclipse just after sunrise, according to the reports.

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