Set a reminder and find some eclipse glasses: Most Americans will get the rare chance to see a solar eclipse on Oct. 14.
The big picture: An annular solar eclipse — also known as a "ring of fire" eclipse — will darken skies above a narrow swath of the country stretching from the coast of Oregon to the Texas Gulf Coast, according to NASA.
The planet has shattered heat records in recent months, but even by the standards of a sizzling summer, September's temperature anomaly stands out.
The big picture: Following the hottest June through August on record, and the globe's hottest ever month in July, last month's preliminary data has astonished climate researchers who anticipated such extremes eventually.
