The third and final solar eclipse of the year is expected to take place after Christmas. During the lunar event, the Moon will partially cover the Sun to create a ring of fire effect in the sky.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves in between the Earth and the Sun, creating a perfect alignment for the three massive cosmic objects. This causes the Moon to block the Sun. But, depending on a sky gazer’s location on Earth and the massive size difference between the Moon and the Sun, the former will not completely cover the latter.

Instead, the brightness of the Sun can still be seen around the Moon, which appears like a ring of fire in the sky. The last time this kind of event occurred was on July 2, which was only visible for residents of South America, Space.com reported.

The upcoming cosmic event, however, can only be spotted in certain areas such as Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar, Singapore, Philippines, Guam, Borneo and Sumatra. Other regions in Asia, Africa and Australia will be able to witness a partial solar eclipse, which means the Moon will only cover a portion of the Sun.

The total solar eclipse will occur on Dec. 26. The first area that will be able to witness the event is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will begin at 6:34 am local time. Guam, on the other hand, will be the last country to spot the event, which will star at before 5:00 pm local time.

Those in other countries can refer to TimeandDate.com’s interactive map to check when the solar eclipse will be visible from their location.

Since the event would heavily involve watching the Sun, it’s very important to follow safety measures to avoid damaging the eyes. The first rule of thumb during solar eclipses is to avoid looking at the Sun directly as this can cause permanent damage and even blindness.

To watch the event safely, make sure to use special protective eyewear with solar filters or use a pinhole camera, which is a simple tool that can be easily made using common household items.

solar eclipse
As Europe enjoyed a partial solar eclipse on the morning of Friday 20 March 2015, ESA’s Sun-watching Proba-2 minisatellite had a ringside seat from orbit. Proba-2 used its SWAP imager to capture the Moon passing in front of the Sun in a near-totality. SWAP views the solar disc at extreme ultraviolet wavelengths to capture the turbulent surface of the Sun and its swirling corona. ESA/Proba-2
RELATED STORIES
Australia India Moon Sun