100 days until the next solar eclipse: a ‘ring of fire’ from Easter Island

When is the next solar eclipse? For the US, it’s Saturday, March 29, 2023, when a partial solar eclipse will be visible in the far northeast and from Europe (here’s a map). However, the next solar eclipse on Earth is Wednesday, October 2, when an annular solar eclipse – a ‘ring of fire’ – will be visible from the Pacific Ocean, Chile and Argentina.

Mysterious Moai

Although most of the 14,000-kilometer eclipse path will pass over the empty ocean, it will cross Rapu Nui (Easter Island), one of the most remote and attractive locations on Earth. Known for its 1,000 Moai– huge monolithic human figures carved from basalt between the 1250s and 1500s – the small island is located 3,700 kilometers off the coast of Chile.

This will occur exactly 177 days after the April 8 total solar eclipse in North America and will be experienced by far fewer people. While more than 45 million people experienced totality that day, this ‘ring of fire’ will be seen by up to 175,000 people, according to Timeanddate. Rapa Nui has a population of just 7,750, while the trail crosses some very remote areas of Patagonia in Chile and Argentina.

Annular vs. Total

This eclipse will be similar to the October 14 eclipse, which was observed from parts of nine US states, as well as from Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.

An annular eclipse is very different from a total eclipse. Instead of blocking the sun, the new moon blocks only the center of its disk, creating a ring of light around the moon. This happens because the moon is slightly farther away from the Earth, so it appears smaller, and must be viewed through solar filters (eclipse glasses) at all times.

How to get there

While relatively few eclipse hunters travel to see rings, the opportunity to visit a destination like Rapa Nui makes it different. Several organized tours take travelers to Rapa Nui, including AstroTrails, TravelQuest, Sky & Telescope, Eclipse Traveler and Ring Of Fire Expeditions. Rapa Nui is a five-hour flight from Santiago, Chile. From the south of the island, the “ring of fire” will last about 6 minutes and 28 seconds while at 67 degrees above north, covering 93% of the sun’s disk. Eclipse chasers are likely to gather at locations such as Ahu Tongariki, Orongo and Ahu Nau-Nau.

The “ring of fire” will also be seen lower in the sky, from Chile (Cochrane and just south of Chile Chico) and Argentina (Perito Moreno National Park, Puerto Deseado and Puerto).

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next annular solar eclipse will occur on February 17, 2026, but will only be visible in a remote part of Antarctica. Exactly one lunar year later, on February 6, 2027, a ‘ring of fire’ lasting 7 minutes and 51 seconds will be visible from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, then crossing the Atlantic Ocean to see a ‘ring of fire’ at sunset as can be seen from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

The next total solar eclipse will occur on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, and will be visible from parts of Siberia in Russia, eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain.

Follow me Twitter/X And Instagram.

Pick up my books Stargazing in 2024, A stargazing program for beginners And When is the next solar eclipse?

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.