According to NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak, residents of the entire United States are expected to be able to witness the event, with those in the Central Time zone getting the best view. The partial solar eclipse will be caused by an off-center new moon passing across the front of the sun, and will have a visibility of 12-70% clarity.
Keep an eye on the sun, though not without adequate protection, from 1.34 p.m. PST onwards. By 2:59 p.m. PST around 52% of the sun will be covered by the eclipse, which is expected to end at 4.18 p.m. PST.
Partial solar eclipse: Safety precautions
Do not be fooled into thinking that a partial solar eclipse is safe to look at with the naked eye. In fact, Espenak said that the partial eclipse could be even more dangerous to the public than a total solar eclipse. The same precautions need to be taken to protect the eye, as staring directly into the eclipse could cause temporary or permanent blindness.
Experts recommend using a piece of cardboard with a pinhole to view the phenomenon. By punching a hole with a diameter of a couple of millimeters into the cardboard and taping it to a west-facing window, observers will be able to see a projected image of the solar eclipse on their wall.
Partial solar eclipse: Equipment
Although observers may be tempted to try and get a closer view of the action, telescopes and binoculars are not safe to view the eclipse unless users attach a high-quality solar filter.
The photographers among you might be interested to learn that you will be able to capture the whole solar eclipse on a composite scene, as long as your camera can take multiple exposures through a wide-angle lens. Again photographers should employ solar filters to prevent permanent damage to the eye.
Those with the right equipment can expect to take some great pictures of the eclipse, enhanced by the fact that sunspot AR2192 is currently facing Earth, which makes for an active and photogenic Sun.
