Partial Solar Eclipse Set For Thursday, Will Be Visible Throughout Much Of US

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
The moon will pass in front of the sun on Thursday, producing a partial solar eclipse that, weather-permitting, will be visible in most parts of the United States sometime around sunset, NASA officials have announced.
Unlike a total eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of and completely hides the sun, a partial eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of the sun, off-center, allowing a small portion of the solar disk to remain uncovered, the US space agency explained.
Thursday’s partial eclipse will be visible in all parts of the country except for Hawaii and New England, and coverage ranges from 12 percent in Florida to nearly 70 percent in Alaska, NASA’s Dr. Tony Phillips noted. The eastern part of the US will have an especially good look at the event, as the moon and sun are expected to align at day’s end.
[ Watch the Video: ScienceCasts: Sunset Solar Escape ]
“Observers in the Central Time zone have the best view because the eclipse is in its maximum phase at sunset,” retired astrophysicist and longtime NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak said. “They will see a fiery crescent sinking below the horizon, dimmed to human visibility by low-hanging clouds and mist.”
According to Space.com’s Geoff Gaherty, the moon’s shadow will begin passing across Earth at approximately 3:38pm EDT. The time of maximum eclipse is 5:45pm EDT, and it will end when the moon’s shadow departs at 7:52pm EDT.
“The best views of the eclipse will be in the north, in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, but everyone in North America should see some of it, except in the extreme northeast of the continent,” he added. “In eastern North America, the eclipse will be visible only near or at sunset, so a low western horizon is essential.”
Of course, both Gaherty and Dr. Phillips emphasize that it is important not to stare at the eclipse, even with binoculars or a telescope. Staring directly at the sun can cause pain, serious eye damage and perhaps even blindness, they said. Experts recommend using special solar filters and/or safety glasses to view the event.
“The safest way to view a solar eclipse is by using a pinhole in a piece of cardboard to project the sun. This is particularly effective with an eclipse near sunset,” Gaherty said. “Punch a hole a couple of millimeters in diameter in the middle of a piece of cardboard, and tape it against a west-facing window. This will project an image of the eclipsed sun on a wall opposite.”
“During the eclipse, don’t forget to look at the ground,” added Dr. Phillips. “Beneath a leafy tree, you might be surprised to find hundreds of crescent-shaped sunbeams dappling the grass. Overlapping leaves create a myriad of natural little pinhole cameras, each one casting an image of the crescent-sun onto the ground beneath the canopy. When the eclipsed sun approaches the horizon, look for the same images cast on walls or fences behind the trees.”
Astronomy buffs should also check around to see if there are any local viewing parties or similar events going on in their areas.
The University of California, Riverside Department of Physics and Astronomy has announced that it will host a free public eclipse-viewing that day, as has Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, the University of Colorado’s Fiske Planetarium, the University of Missouri’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee.
Also, if you find yourself thinking that we just had an eclipse, you’re right – a lunar eclipse took place on Wednesday, October 8, and it too was visible throughout much of the US. That eclipse started around 5:15 am EDT, peaked around 6:55 am EDT and ended shortly before 7:30 am EDT, and was the second lunar eclipse of the year, according to Michele Berger of the Weather Channel.

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