On Sunday, there will be a solar eclipse that will cover the sun and be visible from eastern North America to the Middle East, according to Fox News.
The upcoming hybrid solar eclipse is a generally rare occurrence and will begin as an annular eclipse, otherwise known as a "ring of fire," that will follow the path of totality, before shifting to a total eclipse as the shadow from the moon obscures Earth.
Stargazers in the eastern United States, northeastern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and most of Africa will be able to see a partial solar eclipse, while those in the path of totality in central Africa will be able to see the sun completely obscured for a few moments.
The eclipse will occur at approximately 6:30 a.m. in eastern North America, lasting for about 45 minutes. From New York or Boston, the moon will cover more than 50 percent of the sun. The "ring of fire" aspect of the eclipse will begin around sunrise east of Jacksonville, Florida.
The view of the eclipse will be low on the horizon, less than eight degrees from the east-southeast horizon.
The path of totality runs from the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern United States and goes through Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as several other countries in Africa before ending in southern Ethiopia and Somalia around sunset.
The most impressive part of the eclipse will be visible southwest of Liberia, in the Atlantic Ocean, when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes the closest to the Earth's center.
According to NASA, this will be the final eclipse of 2013.
Don't watch the eclipse by looking directly at the sun, as it can be damaging to the eye. Solar filters can be purchased for telescopes or binoculars. Number 14 welder's glasses also can protect the eye. However, standard sunglasses don't provide adequate protection.
Video of a previous hybrid eclipse.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
