Looking for something to do on Monday morning? How about a view at a once-a-decade event?
Officials with NASA are estimating that between approximately 10:06 and 11:49 a.m. on Monday, the Los Angeles area is expected to be in view of a solar eclipse that will appear as a partial eclipse here, but a total eclipse in some parts of the U.S.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The peak maximum sun coverage for the Los Angeles area is expected to be at 11:12 a.m.
The path of the eclipse is scheduled to enter the United States in Texas and travel northeast. Only those locations are set to view a total solar eclipse, with the rest of the country only viewing a partial eclipse.
Safe solar viewing glasses, also known as “eclipse glasses,” should be used when looking directly at the sun, according to NASA. Regular sunglasses are not safe enough for direct viewing. NASA also advises against using a camera lens, telescope or other optical device while viewing the eclipse as the concentrated solar rays can burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.
If eclipse glasses are not readily available, you can use a pinhole projector to view the eclipse indirectly. The easiest way to do this is to punch a hole in an index card, which then projects the image of the sun onto a nearby surface. It is not recommended to view the sun through the pinhole.
Members of the Valencia High School Pride of the Vikings marching band utilized both tools in October during a viewing of the annular eclipse known as the Ring of Fire. The marching band members stopped midway through their Saturday practice to witness the event, according to band booster President Terry Collier.
The next total solar eclipse is scheduled to occur in March 2033, though that one would only be visible in North America from western Alaska. After that, one can be viewed in August 2044 in parts of Montana and North Dakota.
To view an interactive map of the eclipse’s coverage, visit tinyurl.com/mumszrxw.
