Solar Eclipse Happens Today

Americans will see only one more this decade
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 23, 2014 3:54 AM CDT
Updated Oct 23, 2014 6:33 AM CDT
Solar Eclipse Happens Today
People look at the moon crossing in front of the sun during a partial solar eclipse in the Canary Islands today.   (AP Photo/Andres Gutierrez)

It's a great month for watching the skies: On top of the selenelion eclipse and the Orionid meteor shower, a partial solar eclipse can be seen by most Americans today, reports Sky and Telescope. It can be seen around 2pm on the West Coast and 6pm on the East Coast—a full list of times provided by NASA can be seen here—but while those who catch it just before sunset will see striking views, New Englanders are out of luck because the sun will have set there by the time the rest of the country can see the moon cross between the sun and Earth.

The eclipse will be more distinct the further west a viewer is, with Alaskans seeing around 70% of the sun blocked out. NBC has some tips for safe viewing—stressing that nobody should look directly at the sun because of the risk of serious eye damage—and USA Today has some tips for photographers, again stressing the need for protective eyewear. There will be a live stream from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. For those who miss out completely, there will be one more solar eclipse visible in North America this decade: a total eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. (More solar eclipse stories.)

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