'Ring of fire' solar eclipse is coming to US in October. Here's when (and where) you can see it.

An annular "ring of fire" solar eclipse will be visible across the Western Hemisphere on Oct. 14, and Americans across several Western states will be able to see it.

It's called a "ring of fire" eclipse because only the outer ring of the sun will be visible during the height of the spectacle.

NASA projects the eclipse will be visible across North America, Central America and South America, including parts of the U.S. and Mexico.

Here's what you need to know about the eclipse coming up in October and how you can watch it.

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What is an annular solar eclipse? Why it's called the 'ring of fire'?

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes in between the sun and the Earth while at its farthest point from Earth.

Because the moon is farther away from Earth than usual, it appears smaller than the sun and does not completely cover the star. "This creates a 'ring of fire' effect in the sky," according to NASA.

Different phases occur during an annular solar eclipse. It begins at the partial eclipse phase, which is when the moon begins to move in front of the sun.

"The moon will slowly block more and more of the sun’s light, making the sun appear as a smaller and smaller crescent before it forms a 'C' shape. This phase is also known as first contact," NASA states.

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Following the partial eclipse is the annularity phase, which is when the moon completely passes in front of the sun, leaving behind a "ring" of the sun available behind the moon. This will occur around an hour and 20 minutes after the partial eclipse phase starts.

According to NASA, annularity will last from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on where you are located.

"During the eclipse, the sky will grow dimmer, though not as dark as during a total solar eclipse. Some animals may begin to behave as if it is dusk and the air may feel cooler," NASA said.

Following the annularity phase, the moon will pass across the sun's face for the next hour and 20 minutes, once again creating a partial eclipse phase. The eclipse will end when the moon completely moves past the sun.

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When will the solar eclipse occur?

The solar eclipse will occur on Saturday, Oct. 14. NASA says the eclipse will begin in Oregon around 9:13 a.m. PDT and end in Texas around 12:03 p.m. CDT. The annular eclipse won't be visible anywhere in the Eastern time zone, only in portions of the Pacific, Mountain and Central Zones. 

Following the eclipse's visibility in the U.S., it will pass over Mexico and Central America, followed by South America. The eclipse is expected to end at sunset in the Atlantic Ocean.

The eclipse will be the last of its kind that will be visible for people in the U.S. until June 21, 2039.

Where will the solar eclipse be visible?

The annular eclipse will first be seen in the U.S. near Eugene, Oregon, before traveling across the country with visibility in parts of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. It will end in Texas.

A partial solar eclipse is expected to be visible in all 48 contiguous states, as well as Alaska.

After Americans across the West get a glimpse, the annular solar eclipse' path will move across Central America, where it will be visible in parts of Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Panama. The annular eclipse will then be visible in South America, including over Colombia. It will end off the coast of Natal, Brazil, in the Atlantic Ocean.

How to watch the solar eclipse safely

Because the sun is not completely blocked by the moon during an annular solar eclipse, NASA says it's not safe to look directly at the sun during any part of the event.

"Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury," NASA states.

If you want to watch an annular solar eclipse with your eyes, NASA states you need to look through solar viewing glasses, also known as eclipse glasses, or a certified handheld solar viewer.

"Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and must comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard," the website states. "Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use; if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device. Always supervise children using solar viewers."

​If you are unable to obtain eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, NASA recommends using an indirect viewing method to view the eclipse without looking directly at the sun.

One example is using a pinhole projector, which has a small opening that projects the image of the sun onto a nearby surface. You can safely view the image when the sun is at your back, but do not view the eclipse with the pinhole projector.

NASA also advises people to not use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers while also viewing the event through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes, because those devices require different types of solar filters to be safe.

"When viewing a partial or annular eclipse through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes equipped with proper solar filters, you do not need to wear eclipse glasses," the website states.