‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse moves over the U.S. on Saturday

(NEXSTAR) – An annular, or partial, solar eclipse passed over the United States, as well as Central and South America Saturday morning.

Millions of Americans were able to see the phenomenon, but only a handful of cities in the “path of annularity,” or the maximum amount of obscuration, could see the “ring of fire” created when the moon lines up perfectly with the sun, leaving only the burning rim visible.

This map shows when the eclipse could be viewed in a number of cities.

If you weren’t able to travel to the 150-mile-wide path of annularity, you can still see a partial view of the eclipse.

The 80-90% range includes portions of California, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho, for instance.

Moving a little further from the path of annularity, states with a 70-80% view include parts of Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, California, and Arizona.

In the U.S., the annular eclipse started at 9:13 a.m. PDT in Oregon and was last be visible in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT before moving on to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, according to NASA.

The partial eclipse began and ended later, however. For example, the partial eclipse in Eugene, Oregon, began at 8:06 a.m. PDT but annularity didn’t start until 9:16 a.m., reaching its maximum two minutes later. The partial eclipse in Eugene ended at 10:39 a.m. PDT.

How to watch a solar eclipse

Unless you are in full totality and the moon is completely blocking the sun, the most important thing to remember is that you should shield your eyes when staring at the sun.

Be especially careful when it comes to any device that you might normally use to view something far away.

“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 warns.

Since the sun is never fully covered during an annular eclipse, there is never a safe time to view it with the naked eye. If you plan on viewing or photographing Saturday’s eclipse, make sure your eyes are protected.

Eclipse glasses, which are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses, are one way of safely viewing an eclipse. If you pick up a pair before Oct. 14, make sure they are undamaged and comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Remember, even your darkest sunglasses aren’t close to sufficient.

If glasses aren’t an option, you can try an indirect viewing method that allows you to see the eclipse without staring at the sun. One example would be to punch a hole in an index card and use that hole to project an image of the sun onto a nearby surface, making sure not to stare through the hole at the sun.

Finally, don’t forget about protecting your skin from the sun, which NASA warns may be very bright. While viewing an entire eclipse, you could be exposed to the sun’s rays for hours.