The view of this month's solar eclipse from Long Beach will be closer to the crescent sun shown in this photo of a partial solar eclipse behind the United States Capitol on June 10, 2021, as seen from Arlington, Virginia. Photo courtesy NASA/Bill Ingalls.

Locals planning to watch this year’s solar eclipse can observe the otherworldly phenomenon on Saturday, Oct. 14 from around 8 to 11 a.m., according to NASA.

Observers from Long Beach will be able to catch the moment the moon mostly blocks out the sun at 9:24 a.m. The spectacle will last about five minutes.

This type of eclipse tends to form the optic illusion of a “ring of fire,” as the sun’s blazing light encircles the moon. But because the Southland is not directly in its path, local observers will see more of a “crescent sun” than a fiery ring.

An annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse on May 20, 2012. Photo courtesy NASA/Bill Dunford.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, partially or fully blocking out the sun, which creates an eerie daytime darkness. This upcoming eclipse will be annular, meaning the moon is at the farthest point in its orbit from the planet and will appear smaller than the sun.

To view the eclipse, NASA recommends special eclipse glasses (not regular sunglasses) or a handheld solar viewer that complies with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

Folks can also indirectly look at the phenomenon through a pinhole projector that would shine shapes of the sun onto the ground.

NASA warns against looking directly at the eclipse without proper viewing equipment to avoid permanent eye damage. A viewing safety sheet can be found here.

The Cerritos Library will also host two events on Thursday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 14 with activities that will provide hands-on learning about solar eclipses. The first 200 participants to arrive on Oct. 14 starting at 8 a.m. will receive solar-viewing glasses, and guests will also have access to a telescope with a special solar filter.

NASA will livestream the eclipse here from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. A total solar eclipse will be visible in North America next year on April 8, 2024.

Here are the cities in the direct path of the 2023 solar eclipse, according to NASA:

  • Eugene, Oregon (8:06 to 10:39 a.m. PDT)
  • Alturas, California (8:05 to 10:43 a.m. PDT)
  • Battle Mountain, Nevada (8:06 to 10:48 a.m. PDT)
  • Richfield, Utah (9:09 to 11:56 a.m. MDT)
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico (9:13 a.m. MDT to 12:09 p.m. MDT)
  • San Antonio, Texas (10:23 a.m. CDT to 1:33 p.m. CDT)

Maison Tran is a fellow at the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected].