DENVER — Get ready for two rare and amazing sights in the sky above us in the coming months, Colorado.
The Centennial State will first experience an annular eclipse on October 14, followed by part of a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
A total solar eclipse like the one happening April 8 of next year is when the moon covers the sun entirely, producing what is known as a "corona."
2017 Solar eclipse as seen from Madras, Oregon.
An annular solar eclipse, like the one expected this October, happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, and appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover our star. This creates a "ring of fire" effect in the sky.
While October's annular eclipse will give us the best show of the two, most of Colorado will not be in its direct path.
In Denver, we can expect about 80% coverage of the sun, with less coverage the further east you go. To get the full experience, you'll have to be in areas like Durango, the Four Corners Region and Albuquerque, where the moon will appear to pass directly across the center of the sun.
You can view the direction the path for both solar eclipses in the video below.
Colorado will, for the most part, miss out on the full show of the solar eclipse next April, as we'll only see about 60% to 65% coverage of the sun.
The full solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Texas, and will move northeast into New England.
