On October 14, stargazers and astronomers alike were treated to a celestial event — a ‘ring of fire’ annular solar eclipse.

The phenomenon was visible in parts of the US, Mexico, and in South and Central America.

Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Centre for Solar-Terrestrial Research (NJIT-CSTR) captured the solar eclipse in a way never seen before.

Using the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA), they were able to measure radio wavelengths between 20 and 88 megahertz (MHz) to create an image of the eclipse.

In the images and video below, the dotted lines show the moon’s location and the solid lines show the visible sun’s limb.

The radio waves extending beyond the sun’s edge are emitted from its corona, creating a ‘ring of fire’ effect.

Loading…

NJIT-CSTR associate professor of physics Bin Chen said to see a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse in this format was spectacular.

“From our observatory site in California we were not in the belt to see the annular eclipse,” Mr Chen said.

“Yet we’ve been able to ‘see’ it all clearly unfold in radio.

“[This] reveals a much larger solar disk than its visible counterpart thanks to its sensitivity to the extended solar corona.

“Science-wise, this is a unique opportunity to study the Sun’s extended corona with the highest resolution possible at these wavelengths, taking advantage of the moon’s limb as a moving ‘knife edge’ to increase the effective angular resolution.”

What’s an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, while it is at 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 star.

This creates a thin, bright ring in the darkened sky — which is nicknamed ‘the ring of fire’.

When is the next solar eclipse in Australia?

Those eager to see a solar eclipse in Australia will have to wait a few years for the next one.

Here are the upcoming eclipses over the next 15 years:

• July 22, 2028: Totality will cross from the Kimberley, WA, through NT, south-west QLD, NSW and pass directly over Sydney
• November 25, 2030: Across SA, northwest NSW and southern QLD
• July 13, 2037: Southern WA, southern NT, western QLD, passing directly over Brisbane and the Gold Coast
• December 26, 2038: Central WA, SA, and along NSW and VIC border