An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from Earth. During this type of eclipse, the Moon appears slightly smaller than the Sun, so it cant block the entire disk. The result is a beautiful "ring of fire" around the Moon. The name "annular" comes from the Latin word for ring, "annulus".

Annular solar eclipses are the rarest kind of solar eclipse, occurring only about three to five times per year somewhere on Earth, but they are not evenly distributed across the planet. Locations closer to the poles, such as the Arctic and Antarctic regions, see annular eclipses more often than locations closer to the equator.

The next annular solar eclipse in the U.S. will be on October 14, 2023, and will be visible from eight states in the U.S. Southwest, crossing eight U.S. states from Oregon to Texas.