How To See The 'Ring Of Fire' Solar Eclipse In California

CALIFORNIA — Skygazers are in for a special treat this month when the annular solar eclipse, also known as the "ring of fire," will be visible over California.

Californians will have a chance to see the ring of fire at 9:13 a.m. Oct. 14 when the moon passes in front of the sun but is too far from Earth to completely obscure it, leaving the sun's edges exposed in a red-orange ring, according to NASA.

The path for the eclipse is narrow at only about 125 miles, meaning only parts of California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas will see the ring of fire.

In these areas, the eclipse will last about 5 minutes and 17 seconds. At the peak, about 91 percent of the sun will be blocked by the moon. The ring of fire effect will only last a few seconds.

For people living outside the path, it will look as if the moon took a bite from the sun. Check this partial annular eclipse information page to see when the eclipse will occur in your community.

This will be the last time to see an annular solar eclipse in the United States until June 21, 2039, and then it will only be visible in Alaska.

Don't forget to wear special solar eclipse eyeglasses. It's not safe to look at even a partial eclipse without protective eyewear.

Meteor showers also return to the skies over California this month. A couple — the long-running Orionid and Taurid meteor showers — are already underway.

Also in October: The full hunter's moon will be on Saturday, Oct. 28, just in time for Halloween. It's a regular full moon; the full harvest moon on Friday ended a string of four consecutive supermoons.

Shooting Star Shows

Here's what you need to know about October meteor showers:

Draconids peak, Oct. 8-9: This short-lived, Oct. 6-10 meteor shower passes most years with only a smattering of meteors. Sometimes called the Giacobinid meteor shower in honor of the astronomer who discovered its parent comet, the shooting star is distinctive in that it's best viewed in the morning evening hours as darkness falls rather than after midnight. The moon will be only about 19 percent illuminated for this shower, and if you’re patient and perhaps a bit lucky, you might catch 10 meteors an hour.

Orionids peak, Oct. 21-22: The Orionid meteor shower started Sept. 26 and runs through Nov. 22, and usually produces 15 or 20 meteors an hour at the peak. It's considered one of the most beautiful shooting star shows of the year because meteors are bright and fast, entering Earth's atmosphere at bout 148,000 miles an hour. These meteors that fast can leave glowing trains — that is, incandescent bits of debris that can last several seconds or even minutes — and also fireballs. The moon will be about 37 percent full during the peak.

• Related: 2023 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons, More Celestial Events

Taurids are active now: This long-running meteor shower, which started Sept. 28 and runs through Dec. 2, is unique because it consists of two separate debris streams, both rich in fireballs. Occasionally, the Taurids create a "swarm" with numerous bright fireballs. The last one was in 2015. In normal years, though, they produce about five or 10 shooting stars an hour. The moon will be about 54 percent full for the Southern Taurids' Nov. 4-5 peak, and about 2 percent full for the Nov. 11-12 peak of the Northern Taurids.

Auroras, Maybe?

Another reason to keep your eyes on the sky in October: It's typical for the aurora borealis to shimmer in the fall with more frequency than in other seasons, as the Earth tilts in just the right way around the time of the autumnal equinox (that was Sept. 23).

Scientists say the northern lights have been firing with more frequency than previously thought as solar maximum approaches. That's the point midway through an 11-year cycle when the north and south poles sort out their magnetic fields, eventually flipping them.

Solar storms occur with much greater frequency during this period, triggering aurora displays that can dip down from Arctic ranges to the northern tier of the U.S. states and, in some cases, farther south to places that don't normally see auroras.

This year, scientists say solar maximum is arriving earlier and more powerfully than they thought, bombarding Earth with solar storms that result in a bumper crop of ethereal northern lights displays at lower latitudes.

Originally, scientists thought solar maximum would occur in 2025, but now predict it could happen by the end of the year.

• Related: Aurora Borealis Hunting: What's A Kp Index, More Northern Lights Tips