Hot on the tail of the “blood moon” total lunar eclipse earlier this month comes a rise-and-shine special: a partial solar eclipse that will be visible at sunrise on March 29 in some parts of the US. You don’t have to be in the eclipse path to join the solar festivities. Livestreams will bring the action onto your screen as the moon takes a dramatic bite out of the sun.
What is a partial solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse is a shadow dance involving the sun, Earth and moon. The moon passes before the sun, blocking the star and casting a shadow on our planet. If the weather permits, people in the shadow’s path can see the eclipse.
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A partial solar eclipse takes a little bit out of the sun, making it resemble Pac-Man depending on the moon’s coverage.
The sun-moon-Earth alignment isn’t perfect on March 29, though, so we will get only a partial eclipse that will look like a dark bite taken from a glowing cookie. “The central part of the moon’s shadow, where the sun would appear completely blocked, misses Earth, so no one will be able to see a total solar eclipse this time,” NASA said in an explainer.
Don’t write this one off because it’s “just” a partial eclipse.
“It should be a photogenic eclipse,” says Emily Rice, associate professor of astrophysics at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York.
Rice says to protect your camera with a solar filter and get ready to capture some scenery.
“The sun will be low in the sky for most observers, so you can get trees, buildings or other landscape features in a shot with the Pac-Man sun,” she says.
Where can I see the solar eclipse?
Eclipse viewers in parts of North America, Africa, Asia and Europe will be able to catch at least some of the show. Greenland, Iceland and some small regions of South America are also in the path, as are wide areas of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The northeastern US is the only part of the country that will be in the eclipse path.
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NASA’s eclipse map shows coverage and times for the partial solar eclipse of March 29.
NASA’s eclipse map shows where the eclipse will be visible. The curved yellow lines indicate the maximum percentage of the sun that will be covered. The green lines indicate time. The looping orange lines indicate sunrise and sunset. If that’s confusing, just check your location with Timeanddate.com for details on timing and coverage.
When is the solar eclipse?
Viewers in the northeastern US should put the coffee pot on an automatic timer. The eclipse will already be in process at sunrise. That’s 6:55 a.m. ET for Baltimore, 6:31 a.m. for Boston and 6:44 a.m. for New York City. Washington, DC. should be on eclipse lookout starting at 6:56 a.m. The eclipse will be at its maximum very close to sunrise in these locations.
Places like Baltimore will get to see only a little bit of shadow for a few minutes, so it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it situation.
Portland, Maine, residents will have one of the best views in the US. Partial viewing begins at 6:27 a.m. with maximum at 6:30 a.m. and the end of the eclipse coming at 7:10 a.m. You’ll get to see 64% coverage of the sun, according to NASA. Compare that with Baltimore’s 3%.
Eclipse fans in other parts of the world won’t have to get up so early. Dublin witnesses the eclipse late morning, while Paris will see the eclipse at maximum right around noon local time.
Livestream the solar eclipse
Most of the US will be out of luck when it comes to seeing the eclipse in person, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun. Timeanddate.com is running a livestream so anyone can enjoy the view. It starts bright and early at 5:30 a.m. ET on March 29.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich in the UK goes live with its eclipse coverage at 6 a.m. ET.
Protect your eyes during a solar eclipse
The lunar eclipse earlier in March didn’t require fancy eyewear, but the solar eclipse does. Eye safety is key.
“Because the sun is never completely covered, observers must use proper eye protection at all times while watching this eclipse,” NASA cautions.
That means it’s time to dig out your protective solar eclipse eyewear.
“The upcoming partial eclipse is why I encourage people to keep their ‘eclipse” glasses’ — which would more accurately be called ‘sun viewers’ because they can be used to observe the sun any time,” Rice says. Here’s how to tell if your glasses are safe.
No glasses? No problem. Make a pinhole projector.
“Stand facing away from the sun and use the viewer to cast a shadow and you can see the eclipsed shape of the sun,” Rice says. She also encourages viewers to examine dappled shadows around them, looking for changes in the shape.
Solar and lunar eclipses happen throughout the year, but each is a special moment. It’s worth a sunrise sojourn outside to witness a cosmic trick of the light.
