A rare “ring of fire” eclipse is happening Saturday

On Saturday, October 14, the moon will pass directly between the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow across Earth’s surface.

Those in the path of the shadow — mainly in the Western United States, Mexico, and in Central and South America — will be able to look up and see a spectacular event: an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse.

This weekend’s path notably passes through the Navajo Nation and lands of other Indigenous people in the Four Corners region where these celestial events have particular cultural significance. Citizens of the Navajo Nation, the Diné people, avoid going outside, looking at the eclipse, or allowing the light of the eclipse to shine on them. Some tribal lands, including all Navajo Tribal Parks and the iconic Monument Valley, will be closed to visitors on Saturday to respect cultural traditions. (For Diné readers, a content warning: We have included a photo of a previous annular eclipse below.)