If you look up at the sky on June 21 and see a giant ring of fire, it’s not a sign that the apocalypse is finally here — despite what the rest of 2020 may suggest. It’s actually a dramatic annular solar eclipse.
An annular eclipse, also known as a “ring of fire” eclipse, occurs when the new moon is furthest away from Earth on its elliptical orbit, and doesn’t cover the sun completely while passing between our planet and the sun. The moon then has a circle of sunlight around its edges, making it look like a bright ring.
