Annular Solar Eclipse Happening on October 14 — Here’s How Visible it Will be in Louisiana

On Saturday, October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will be visible in much of North America.

Of course, there will be certain parts of the country that will experience more of it than others.

What exactly is an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from Earth.

Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon appears as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk, creating what looks like a ring around the Moon.

How long has it been since the last solar eclipse?

It's been a little over 11 years since we've seen the same type of solar eclipse in the United States as one crossed the U.S. Southwest on May 20, 2012.

Where will this solar eclipse be visible in the U.S.?

The path of this annular solar eclipse will mainly be the southwest portion of the United States.

The following map shows that path along with the percentage of visibility in other parts of the country.

As you can see on the map, Louisiana is not too far from the main path, so we should experience a partial solar eclipse in the 70%-80% range.

What time will the annular solar eclipse be viewable?

In the U.S., the annular solar eclipse begins in Oregon at 11:13 a.m. CDT and ends in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT.

So, that means here in Louisiana, we'll be able to see it closer to noon.

Eye safety during a solar eclipse

Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse (which we won't experience here in Louisiana), when the Moon completely blocks the Sun's bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.

Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.

To actually watch a partial or annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses ("eclipse glasses") or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times.