How you can see an annular solar eclipse this weekend

Weather permitting, stargazers in the metropolitan Chicago region can view an annular solar eclipse around noon Saturday.

The eclipse will have its maximum point at 11:58 a.m. with varying visibility from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., said Hunter Miller, Adler Planetarium public observing educator.

An annular eclipse, also known as a "ring of fire," occurs when the moon is positioned between the sun and earth and casts a shadow on the planet. The moon does not cover the entire disk of the sun, leaving a thin outer ring.

In Chicago, though, it'll be seen as a partial eclipse with about 43% coverage of the sun, Miller said.

"Like a big bite taken out of the sun," he said.

The true ring of fire will be visible in a swath from Oregon through Texas, Miller said.

He cautioned viewers to use eye protection to observe the event, such as the "eclipse glasses" people wore during the 2017 total solar eclipse.

Do-it-yourself methods to view the eclipse indirectly, such as a pinhole projector found at www.adlerplanetarium.org , also work.

Unfortunately, Miller said, Saturday's forecast looks cloudy with between 60% and 80% chance of rain, which will limit what people may see.

"To keep everybody's spirits up, we're very lucky, we have another solar eclipse just six months away. So, any tips you learn now will be useful in April of next year," he said.