Annular eclipse to brighten night-sky viewing in the West this weekend
National park visitors in the Southwest and parts of California are in for a treat this Sunday, May 20: the first annular solar eclipse visible from North America since 1994.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the sun and the earth, creating a shadow that blocks the sun’s light. In an annular eclipse, the rays of the sun are not completely obscured, creating a dramatic ring of light around the moon’s shadow.
This cosmic alignment will take place from about 5:30 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday with varying levels of visibility through a broad swath of the western and midwestern United States.
National parks are perfect places to view the eclipse, because reduced light pollution dramatically improves night-sky viewing. A number of national parks have special events planned for the eclipse, including Glen Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Joshua Tree, among others.
About the author
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Jennifer Errick Associate Director of Digital StorytellingJennifer co-produces NPCA's podcast, The Secret Lives of Parks, and writes and edits a wide variety of online content. She has won multiple awards for her audio storytelling.
