How To Order

US Customers

To order SAS Institute Publications, call SAS Institute book sales at 1-800-727-3228. (Note: This toll-free number is for ordering books in the U.S. only.) You may also contact book sales by E-mail at sasbook@unx.sas.com.

International Customers

To order SAS Institute Publications, contact your local SAS office. International orders sent to the U.S. office will be faxed to the appropriate SAS Subsidiary or Distributor office. Pricing, delivery, and terms for all international documentation orders are determined by each local office.

Copyright © 1999 SAS Institute Inc.

Next spring’s buzzed-about total solar eclipse is already making headlines, but it’s not the only solar spectacle on the horizon. On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will appear above a narrow ribbon of the Americas, and it’s worth building a trip around. The trademark of this phenomenon—when the moon covers the majority, but not the entirety, of the sun—is an eerie ring-of-fire effect. Sky watchers can catch this eclipse, known as an annularity, across 10 countries, from the western United States into Mexico and Central then South America.

What’s an annular solar eclipse?

Eclipses occur when the sun, moon, and Earth align, according to NASA. The type of solar eclipse hinges on the moon’s proximity to us.

The moon’s distance from Earth fluctuates as it orbits around our planet. When it’s close, it appears large enough to cover the sun’s full disk, save for its outer atmosphere, known as the corona. The result: a total solar eclipse, which brings night-like darkness to those within a thin geographical band, known as the path of totality.

This fall’s annular solar eclipse is like a warm-up for next year’s extravaganza. During an annual solar eclipse, the moon is farther away from us. It’s not large enough to cover the entire sun. Instead, it slides across the bulk of it. On Earth, annular eclipse chasers see an inky full moon fringed with the sun’s bright-orange border. It doesn’t get entirely dark like a total eclipse, but the sun does dim.

How can I see the October annular solar eclipse?

The path of annularity, where the full ring of fire is visible, crosses a thin strip of North and South America this October, roughly from Oregon to Brazil. Annularity hits Oregon at 9:13 a.m. PST, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. It travels southeast across North into Central and then South America, ending over northeastern Brazil.

Those near, but not directly within, the path of annularity will catch a partial eclipse. To safely watch the sun, use a pair of NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses (simple sunglasses don’t provide enough protection).

The best way to chase the eclipse? Spend the night beforehand (October 13, 2023) in a hotel within the path of annularity. These hotels and a glamping getaway pair astronomy with adventure—not to mention luxury—and they all have eclipse-eve availability as of publication.

1. Alaia Belize

• Location: Ambergris Caye, Belize
• Duration of annularity: 4 minutes, 45 seconds
• Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
• Book now

From 11:31:34 a.m. to 11:36:19 a.m. local time, Belize’s largest island, Ambergris Caye, will experience nearly five minutes beneath the ring of fire. You can spot it anywhere with open skies on the palm-fringed island, but Alaia Belize’s scenic and secluded viewpoints are hard to top.

This sleek Marriott Autograph Collection property sits along 1,000 feet of the powder-soft Mar de Tumbo beach. Catch the eclipse from a waterfront cabana or lounge chair, or up on the Vista Rooftop Pool and Lounge, a panoramic and suspended rooftop pool that shares space with an Asian infusion restaurant and cocktail bar. For en suite viewing, book a private beachfront villa; each comes with its own plunge pool. Stylish suites also include a beach- or garden-view balcony. Or join fellow guests to watch the marvel from the main pool—and grab your swim-up-bar beverage before the clock hits 11:31 a.m. From $289

2. Bay Point Landing

• Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
• Duration of annularity: 3 minutes, 59 seconds
• Book now

Southern Oregon is one of the initial places to greet the October 14 annular solar eclipse. You can be among the first to spot it at Bay Point Landing, a collection of cabins, tiny homes, and Airstreams on the wild Coos Bay coast. This swath of marshland, bay beaches, and sand dunes will see nearly four minutes of annularity from 9:16:02 a.m. to 9:20:01 a.m. local time.

Soak up the solar splendor from Bay Point Landing’s myriad lookouts, including private firepits and the adjacent secluded shore. Book a minimalistic cabin for two to six people to watch the show from your front porch’s Adirondack lounge chairs. Or snag an Airstream suite complete with a kitchenette, private bath, skylight, and outdoor patio. Bay Point Landing’s amenities, such as an indoor saltwater pool beneath vaulted ceilings, promise post-eclipse relaxation, with comfort food via an on-site food truck (think fish & chips and fresh salads) to keep you fueled for the destination’s scenic beach walks and water sports. From $168

3. Kimpton Grand Roatán

Courtesy of Kimpton Grand Roatán

• Location: Roatán, Honduras
• Duration of annularity: 4 minutes, 39 seconds
• Loyalty program: IHG One Rewards
• Book now

Roatán’s bustling Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the Honduran island’s prime showstopper, but on October 14, all eyes will be on the sky. From 11:38:06 a.m. to 11:42:45 a.m. local time, the island, 40 miles off the coast of northern Honduras, will enjoy an eye-popping ring of fire. Soak up all 4.5 minutes of the scene in style at the new Kimpton Grand Roatán Resort & Spa, which opened in the summer of 2023.

The 119-room property, set along the island’s southern tip, features suites, rooms, condos, and bungalows that showcase the area’s culture through local artwork and artifacts from the Indigenous Paya islanders. Many rooms include private balconies with tropical forest views. Enjoy the eclipse from your balcony, the gumbo-tree-ringed outdoor pool, or while paddling along the Caribbean Sea; kayak rentals are available on site. After sky gazing, enjoy a snack at one of the resort’s four spirited restaurants. Alera puts a Mediterranean spin on fresh local produce and seafood, while the Drop Off beachfront restaurant’s bartenders concoct beverages that are equal parts cocktail and art. From $265

4. MÍA Bacalar Luxury Resort & Spa

Courtesy of MÍA Bacalar Luxury Resort & Spa

• Location: Quintana Roo, Mexico
• Duration of annularity: 3 minutes, 59 seconds
• Book now

Mexico’s path of annularity crosses one of the country’s most popular tourism areas: Quintana Roo, a sugar-sand beach region with cenotes, jungle, Mayan ruins, and, come October, eclipse viewing near tourist towns like Bacalar. The getaway, roughly 200 miles south of Cancún, will experience annularity from 12:29:22 p.m. to 12:33:21 p.m. local time. Head to MÍA Bacalar Luxury Resort and Spa to pair eclipse chasing with five-star R&R.

The 23 private-feeling, white and wood abodes of the MÍA Bacalar overlook Bacalar Lagoon, nicknamed the “lagoon of seven colors” for its ever-changing hues of blue. Spot the eclipse from your own patio in one of the curvilinear Luxe Saasil rooms, or via a private plunge pool in one of the Ixchel suites. For a wider panorama, try MÍA Bacalar’s pier or paddle the lagoon in a transparent kayak to see both ocean and space marvels. Between adventures, dine at the high-end Hunab Ku Restaurant, known for Mexican dishes like stuffed peppers and pozole (a traditional pork and hominy stew). From $322

5. La Cantera Resort & Spa

Courtesy of La Cantera Resort & Spa

• Location: San Antonio Hill Country, Texas
• Duration of annularity: 4 minutes, 11 seconds
• Book now

It’s eclipse after eclipse in Texas Hill Country in the coming months. The sprawling central Texas region will see both this fall’s annular solar eclipse and next spring’s total solar eclipse. La Cantera Resort & Spa, located atop San Antonio’s rolling hills, delivers a view of both events, including annularity from 11:51:47 a.m. to 11:55:58 a.m. local time on October 14.

The 496-room resort sprawls across 550 forested acres, with 34 regal-meets-farmhouse villas and one adults-only floor. Its aesthetic, with Texas limestone walls and native textiles and art, nods to the region’s history. The spacious guest rooms follow suit, with cherry wood and oversize windows and private patios to take in the view.

Come October 14, La Cantera is partnering with the University of Texas at San Antonio’s physics and astronomy department to host an educational eclipse-view experience. It’s offered as part of the “moon’s shadow” three-day package ($3,500 for two guests, three-night minimum) and includes educational programming, a welcome reception, telescope viewing, and, on the 14th, a full eclipse-viewing party on the lawn. Dine before and after the eclipse at one of numerous on-site haunts, from charcuterie at Bocado to upscale Texan fare, such as beef tenderloin or venison, at La Cantera’s Signature restaurant. From $357

6. Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe

Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe

• Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Duration of annularity: 1 minute, 50 seconds
• Book now

New Mexico will see a flurry of sky activity come mid-October. There’s the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta from October 7 to 15, and, on October 14, the ring of fire will also glow above roughly one-third of the state. While most Albuquerque hotels are booked up for the beloved balloon festival, Santa Fe’s 65-room Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado, about one hour north of the fiesta, still has space—and nearly two minutes of annularity, from 10:36:28 a.m. to 10:38:18 a.m. local time on the 14th.

There are plenty of eclipse-chasing options across the property’s 57 Sangre de Cristo mountain foothill acres. Cozy up by an alfresco firepit as the ring of fire fills the sky, or head to the pool to watch the desert change as the sky dims. The adobe-style casitas, with wood-burning fireplaces and heated floors, include private terraces to eclipse watch in your slippers. Relax and view the sky via cozy patio furnishings, from hammocks to lounge chairs. For a heart-pumping annularity encounter, head to the property’s adventure center and plan an eclipse-timed mountain canyon hike among wild hops and cholla cacti. Don’t miss fine-dining haunt Terra’s Southwestern food, such as watermelon cucumber gazpacho and seafood paella with saffron rice. From $3,400

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, shared another batch of newly subpoenaed documents that he said "reveal Facebook bowed to the Biden White House’s pressure to remove posts" from the social media platform on Friday. 

A lengthy social media thread dubbed "The Facebook Files Part 2" began with the link to a Wall Street Journal report headlined "Facebook Bowed to White House Pressure, Removed Covid Posts." 

Jordan then wrote that in the summer of 2021, "the White House was mount­ing a na­tion­wide push for Amer­i­cans to get vaccinated for Covid-19. Part of that push in­cluded a pub­lic and SECRET campaign to get Facebook to more ag­gres­sively po­lice vac­cine-re­lated con­tent, including TRUE information."

Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, noted it "wasn’t the Biden Admin's first pressure campaign," because in July 2021 "FB’s head of Global Affairs asked why FB had been censoring the COVID lab leak theory. The answer was clear: ‘Because we were under pressure from the administration . . . We shouldn’t have done it,’" and provided an email as evidence. 

'SMOKING-GUN DOCUMENTS' PROVE FACEBOOK CENSORED AMERICANS ON BEHALF OF WHITE HOUSE, JIM JORDAN SAYS

"Biden Ad­min­is­tra­tion of­fi­cials claimed that many Ameri­cans were hes­i­tant to get vac­cines be­cause of content—including true information—that they saw on Face­book," Jordan wrote, noting Biden said "they’re killing people" last July. 

"Facebook employees initially bristled at President Biden’s accusation," Jordan wrote, with accompanying emails, before adding "the tongue-lash­ing directly caused Face­book to re-eval­u­ate its poli­cies about COVID-19 con­tent—discussions that in­volved high-level com­pany of­fi­cials in­clud­ing Clegg and then-Chief Op­er­at­ing Of­fi­cer Sh­eryl Sand­berg."

Facebook and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

NBC, ABC, CBS NEWSCASTS SKIP ‘SMOKING-GUN’ DOCS JIM JORDAN SAYS PROVE FACEBOOK CENSORED TO APPEASE WHITE HOUSE

Jordan wrote that "humorous posts about the vaccine" were the specific thing the White House wanted to shut down. "Seriously, jokes were too much," Jordan wrote. 

"The Biden administration also wanted Facebook to remove TRUE information as well," Jordan added, noting that "Facebook even considered 'blackholing' certain domains."

"Facebook’s leadership relented in August and agreed to change the company’s content moderation policies because of the Biden Admin’s continued pressure," Jordan wrote. 

JIM JORDAN OUTLINES FACEBOOK'S 'COZY' RELATIONSHIP WITH BIDEN WHITE HOUSE, HOW IT 'CENSORED' FREE SPEECH

"And Facebook caved to the White House. Again," Jordan wrote, linking to a CNN article headlined, "Facebook takes action against ‘disinformation dozen’ after White House pressure," that was published on Aug. 18, 2021. 

"These subpoenaed documents continue to reveal the Biden administration’s efforts to censor speech," Jordan wrote before concluding the thread with, "To be continued…"

The second batch of "Facebook Files" came after Jordan shared what he called "smoking-gun documents" proving Facebook censored Americans on behalf of the Biden administration on Thursday. 

The House Judiciary Committee Chairman told host Laura Ingraham on Thursday that both he and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced the Free Speech Protection Act that would penalize employees who censor speech.

"If you're in the government and you're doing what was happening there [at Facebook], you get fired. You don't get your pension benefits. There can be civil liability that you're subject to. You lose any security clearance you may have," he said. "We want real penalties for people in the government engaging what Professor [Jonathan] Turley called this censorship by surrogate, this coercion, this pressure from government on private companies to censor speech." 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report. 

For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media

At least one Iowa school district has turned to using artificial intelligence to try and stay in compliance with a new state law on what constitutes age-appropriate books in school libraries. Bridgette Exman, assistant superintendent in Mason City, says Iowa legislators are requiring public schools to remove all books that have “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act,” but it excludes religious texts.

Exman tells KCRG-TV they’re trying to follow the letter of the law as best as they can.  “This law is written in a way where our teachers and our teacher librarian have individual criminal liability,” Exman says. “There may be best practice here and we don’t really have the opportunity to use best practice. We’re in a place where we have to use an efficient and defensible process.”

Exman says she went through a list of commonly-challenged books and found 19 in Mason City’s middle and high school libraries. She put those titles through Chat-GPT, an online artificial intelligence tool, and asked if the book contained a description of a sex act. “ChatGPT almost always gave me what I would characterize as a ‘yes, but’ answer,” Exman says. “Yes, but it serves this literary purpose, or yes, but it’s used in this context, and unfortunately, the law doesn’t give us a ‘yes, but.’ The law just gives us a ‘yes’ and if it’s a ‘yes,’ it has to go.”

Educators statewide are still waiting for guidance on what books need to be removed from the shelves, but with school starting next week for many students, Exman says they wanted to do something as fast as possible. She says it was a quick, effective way to make sure the school is following the law while also allowing educators to focus on the start of the new school year.

“Our goal here was just to be efficient and to demonstrate a good faith effort to be in compliance with the law,” she says. “That is our legal and our ethical obligation as a school district, regardless of what our personal beliefs are about the law.” Exman says parents have always had the ability to review books or a curriculum, but she says in the last 20 years, they have never seen a formal challenge.

https://www.kcrg.com/2023/08/17/school-district-uses-ai-help-determine-which-library-books-might-break-new-iowa-law/