The vastness and mystery of the heavens above our heads have always made people curious about what is beyond our planet.
While natural phenomena like meteors, comets, and shooting stars never fail to amaze, solar eclipses provide a unique thrill.
This will be the first total solar eclipse seen in North America in 11 years. In May of 2012, the last total solar eclipse occurred.
Beginning on October 13, the annual solar eclipse, popularly known as the "ring of fire," will traverse eight states in the United States.
When "the moon passes between the sun and earth while it is at its farthest point from the planet," as NASA puts it, "this event occurs."
The end product is a brilliantly lit circle with a flaming edge. Seeing a "ring of fire" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The biggest likelihood of witnessing the ring of fire occurs in the states of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
The longer the ring of fire can be seen, the closer an observer is to the center of the path the eclipse is taking.