The majority of North America, barring the extreme northeast regions of Canada and the U.S., will witness the partial solar eclipse of Thursday, Oct. 23. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has also issued some guidelines on how to safely watch the celestial event.
A solar eclipse is the type of eclipse when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and the Moon blocks the Sun. A partial solar eclipse is the one that blocks only a portion of the Sun from the view.
The upcoming partial solar eclipse of Oct. 23 will be observed in late afternoon time between the West and East Coast of the U.S., north in the Arctic, as well as in Mexico. People in some northeast regions of North America may not be able to see the eclipse as the Sun will start to settle in these areas when the eclipse starts.
The partial eclipse may be of less interest to many scientists; however, it still offers a great viewing experience. Many people across North America will want to view the eclipse, but it is certainly not safe to view the sun during any eclipse with the bare eyes. Viewing any type of solar eclipse with naked eyes can cause blindness or permanent eye damage.
NASA suggests that "projection" is the most inexpensive and safest way to view the upcoming partial solar eclipse.
"Place a pinhole or small opening in a card, and hold it between the sun and a screen - giant sheet of white paper works - a few feet away. An image of the sun will be seen on the screen. Projected images of the sun's crescent during an eclipse may even be seen on the ground in the small openings created by interlacing fingers, or in the dappled sunlight beneath a leafy tree," per NASA.
People should view the Sun directly only with the help of filters that are made specifically for the viewing of such an event. Usually, such types of filters include aluminum, silver or chromium layer. Welder's glass is one of the most commonly available filters to view an eclipse safely. People can also use aluminized mylar that are manufactured especially for observing solar eclipse. NASA stresses that only approved filters should be used to safely observe the eclipse.
Some telescopes are available in the market that are equipped with solar filters, which are deemed to be harmless for viewing partial eclipse.
People who wish to capture an image of the eclipse should use solar filters on their cameras. Using a tripod to mount a camera is preferable to avoid blurry images. People can look directly via the camera only when the eyes as well as the camera are protected. Smartphones should not be used to take pictures of the partial eclipse.
Click here to find out when the eclipse will start in your area and when it reaches its maximum.
