Will the ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Impact Alabama’s Gameday?

College football sports fans and skywatcher enthusiasts will be united on Saturday, October 14. Millions of people will have the opportunity to witness an annular solar eclipse as it travels through North, Central, and South America, said NASA.

This "ring of fire" phenomenon could impact many Saturday college football games in the tracking path of the annular solar eclipse.

How to View the Eclipse Safely

Make plans to take in this celestial event that will be visible in various regions of the United States, Mexico, and several countries across South and Central America. However, please remember it is not safe to look directly at the sun.

It’s recommended to have specialized eye protection like the certified ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for filters for direct viewing of the Sun. Click here for more information.

Will This Solar Eclipse Impact Alabama Football?

On October 14, Alabama hosts Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Homecoming with an 11 a.m. kickoff. James Spann, ABC 33/40, and Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa Chief Meteorologist said for our area there will be a “partial eclipse; at the peak, 58 percent of the sun will be obscured by the moon at 12:08p CT, most likely during the second quarter of the game.”

“The 110-mile-wide path of annularity is 729 miles to the southwest of Birmingham. Observers there will see the "ring of fire" as the Moon moves across the center of the Sun,” said Spann.

Ring of Fire Nickname

“Unlike total solar eclipses that occur near the closest point in the Moon's orbit, the Moon will be near its furthest point, appearing smaller in the sky,” said Spann.

This means the radiant light of the sun envelops the shadow cast by the moon, giving rise to the phenomenon known as the "ring of fire."