Skywatchers around the country will be able to see a partial solar eclipse this weekend. <\/p>\n
While not as rare as a total solar eclipse, the celestial spectacle only occurs twice a year.<\/p>\n
Those who miss this year\u2019s fanfare will have to wait until the fall to catch the next one. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you should know…<\/p>\n
When and where can you see the eclipse in the US? <\/p>\n
Major cities across the East Coast will need to wake up early on Saturday morning. <\/p>\n
In Portland, Maine, it starts the earliest, at 6:27 a.m. local time, reaching its maximum phase at 6:59 a.m. <\/p>\n
Boston has just four more minutes to sleep in, and New York City is next on the list.<\/p>\n
Residents of the nation\u2019s capital and Buffalo, New York, can sleep in the latest. The partial begins at 7:02 a.m. in Buffalo.<\/p>\n
Residents of Washington, D.C., and the Northeast can catch a partial solar eclipse on Saturday. On average, they occur about twice a year (NASA via Getty Images)What is a partial solar eclipse?<\/p>\n
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon partially blocks the sun when passing between the sun and the Earth, resulting in a shadow on parts of the Northern Hemisphere. <\/p>\n
Only a part of the sun appear to be covered, giving it a crescent shape. <\/p>\n
On average, they occur about twice a year. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt will feel like a particularly cloudy day,\u201d Juan Carlos Mu\u00f1oz-Mateos, of the European Southern Observatory, told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
How can you view it safely?<\/p>\n
Viewers must use proper eye protection at all times while watching the eclipse. It is never safe to look directly at it without proper protection.<\/p>\n
What is proper protection? Special eclipse glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer. <\/p>\n
Regular sunglasses are not safe for viewing the sun \u2014 no matter how dark they are. <\/p>\n
\u201cDo NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer \u2014 the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury,\u201d NASA advises.<\/p>\n
New Yorkers saw a partial solar eclipse nearly a year ago. Proper eye protection is necessary when watching the eclipse (Getty Images)Who else gets to see it? <\/p>\n
North America, Europe, Africa, northern Asia, small parts of South America, Greenland, and Iceland will all see the partial solar eclipse. <\/p>\n
While the U.S Northeast sees it during sunrise, the eclipse will begin in the mid-to-later morning in western Europe and northwestern Africa. <\/p>\n
In eastern Europe and northern Asia, most or even all of the eclipse will occur in the afternoon or early evening. <\/p>\n
What if you miss this one?<\/p>\n
If you miss this one, don\u2019t fear!<\/p>\n
The next partial solar eclipse is slated for September 21, 2025. <\/p>\n
But, seeing that one may require some travel. <\/p>\n
People in Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are in its geographic range.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Skywatchers around the country will be able to see a partial solar eclipse this weekend. While not as rare as a total solar eclipse, the celestial spectacle only occurs twice a year. Those who miss this year\u2019s fanfare will have to wait until the fall to catch the next one. Here\u2019s what you should know… […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n