A solar eclipse will allow us to see "a ring of fire" in the sky this Thursday

By Denise Chow - NBC News

Just a few weeks after seeing a super blood moon, the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere, including some parts of the United States, will be able to witness another celestial spectacle this week: the first solar eclipse of 2021.

During the early hours of Thursday there will be an annular solar eclipse, also called a "ring of fire", when the moon passes between the star and the Earth.

Sunlight will be blocked and a shadow will be cast over our planet.

The show will begin at 4:12 a.m. EST with the peak time being recorded at 4:41 a.m. and will last four minutes.

[A 'super blood moon' eclipse is approaching.

These are the disasters and tragedies that coincided with other eclipses]

This event is known as a "ring of fire" because the moon appears smaller than the sun and, consequently, it cannot completely cover the light that the sun projects.

From Earth, a dark disk is visible around it with a spectacular ring of orange-red sunlight.

Weather conditions permitting, people in some parts of Canada, Greenland, and northern Russia will be able to see this annular eclipse.

Residents of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States and much of Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, will be able to experience a partial solar eclipse.

During this event, the moon will give the impression of taking a bite out of the sun, partially covering its surface with black instead of creating the ring effect.

In the United States, the partial solar eclipse will be visible in areas of the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest of the country, as well as in northern Alaska, according to NASA.

As the show will take place before, during and shortly after the sun rises, anyone who wants to observe the partial eclipse must have a clear view of the horizon, NASA explained in a statement.

As in any solar eclipse, it is important not to look directly at the sun at any time, even though the moon is partially or almost completely covering it.

It is essential to use special glasses for these events or a pinhole projector to observe the sky safely and avoid injury to the eyes.

This will be the first visible solar eclipse in the United States since 2017. The second total solar eclipse scheduled for this 2021 will take place on December 4. It can only be seen from Antarctica.