After a few days of nasty weather, the tri-state area is getting a nice break with not only partly clear skies and lower humidity but also a celestial spectacle known as the "ring of fire."
New York City and nearby areas, along with the U.S. East Coast, were the ideal locations Thursday morning to watch the partial solar eclipse where the moon blocks about 60%-80% of the left side of the sun as they rise together, according to the Great American Eclipse website. It was only visible for about four minutes before the moon moved out of the sun's way.
The event, known as an annular solar eclipse, occurs when the moon is too far from Earth to block out the entire sun, leaving the sun peeking out over the Moon's disk in a "ring of fire,“ NASA said.
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According to Space.com, the eclipse was completely visible in a narrow path starting at 4:12 a.m. ET from the north shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, Canada, and moving over Greenland, the North Pole and finally ending at 9:11 a.m. ET over northeastern Siberia.
Like with all solar eclipses, observers are advised against looking directly at the sun's rays as it can permanently damage the eyes.
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NASA says when watching a solar eclipse, wear certified solar viewing or eclipse glasses — those known to block not just the visible, but also the invisible, damaging infrared and ultraviolet rays — throughout the entire eclipse if you want to face the sun. Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun.
The last time such major event occurred in the U.S. was in 2017 and it won't happen again until 2024.
Did you get a good shot of the partial eclipse? Send your photos to tips@nbcnewyork.com to be featured on NBC New York's platforms.
