The moon recently received its fair share of attention, with a trilogy of super moons and a rare blood moon happening earlier this month. It looks like it will be the sun's turn to get noticed later on this week as a partial solar eclipse is expected to take place on Oct. 23.
The partial solar eclipse, which will occur when an off-center new moon passes through the front of the sun, is expected by NASA researchers to be widely visible in the entire United States.
The event will have a visibility in the range of 12 percent to 70 percent clarity.
According to Fred Espenak, eclipse expert for NASA, people in the U.S. who will get the best possible view of the partial solar eclipse will be those observing the event from the Central Time zone.
The partial solar eclipse will start at 1:34 p.m. PST, when the moon starts to move across the sun's face. The height of the eclipse will be at 2:59 p.m. PST, when the eclipse will be covering about 52 percent of the face of the sun. The eclipse is forecast to end at 4:18 p.m. PST, which is just about two hours before the sun sets.
While the solar eclipse will only be partial, experts are warning the public that the precautions to be taken when viewing a total solar eclipse should also be followed when viewing the partial solar eclipse. Staring directly into the eclipse with the naked eye could cause extreme pain, permanent damage to the eye, and temporary or permanent blindness.
Espenak says that the partial solar eclipse could even be more dangerous to the general public than a total solar eclipse. Since people assume it is safe to look at a partially covered sun, the natural reaction of looking away may fail to kick in.
The safest method of viewing the eclipse would be through the use of a piece of cardboard with a pinhole, which will be particularly effective with the eclipse nearing sunset. Observers can punch a hole with a diameter of only a couple of millimeters through the middle of the cardboard then tape the cardboard to a window facing the west. The cardboard will project an image of the eclipse onto the opposite wall.
It is not safe to use a telescope or binoculars to look at the eclipse, unless the device has a legitimate solar filter.
According to Espenak, the partial solar eclipse will look like a fiery crescent dipping below the horizon, which will be dimmed due to mist and clouds to the point that it can be seen by humans.
