'Ring of fire' solar eclipse to pass over part of United States, South America on Wednesday

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A annular solar eclipse will pass over the Hawaiian islands on Wednesday, Oct. 2. This is the third solar eclipse this year; the annular partial eclipse that will show the "ring of fire."

While the islands will only get between 40% and 60% coverage for this eclipse, other parts of the world are a little more lucky.

Easter Island will have one of the best views of this eclipse and the best chance to see the "ring of fire" effect. The island, known for its 40-foot tall stone heads, or moai, is about 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile. The last time an eclipse was visible there was in 2010. The next will be in 2324.

The annular eclipse will also pass over Chile and Argentina.

Annular eclipse vs. total eclipse

Compared to the April 8 eclipse, an annular eclipse is a little more bright. An annular eclipse, like the one on Oct. 2, occurs when the Earth and moon are further away from one another.

This causes the moon to only cover the center part of the sun, allowing light to peek out around the edges, creating the "ring of fire" effect.

This "ring of fire" is only visible directly along the eclipse path, like on Easter Island. The surrounding area will not get this perfect ring; instead they will see a dimming effect and get a partial eclipse.

Viewing a partial eclipse

According to NASA, it is never safe to look directly at an annular eclipse, even if you look at it from the path of annularity. Because parts of the sun are uncovered, it can damage your eyes.

Eclipse glasses are required to view this eclipse. The ones you used during the April 8 total eclipse should be useable as long as they are official ISO 12312-2 glasses and are undamaged, according to the American Astronomical Society.

Long eclipses and the next eclipse

One final note about the October 2 eclipse: it's actually a long annular eclipse. The eclipse will last 7 minutes and 25 seconds along the center of its path.

The total eclipse that passed over the United States, including most of Texas, lasted 4 minutes and 52 seconds along the center of its path.

We have to wait awhile for the next annular eclipse after such an eclipse-filled year. The next one is Feb. 17, 2026 over Antarctica. The next total solar eclipse is Aug. 12, 2026. That eclipse will pass over Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Russia.