Thursday morning an annular solar eclipse will happen, but the view will look a little different in our area.Â
A solar eclipse happens when the moon is positioned between the earth and the sun so that it appears to block part or all of the sun. An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon is farther away from us so it can't cover up the whole sun from our view point. Instead during the peak of the eclipse, a ring of light appears around the outside of the moon's dark shadow. That ring of light is often called the "ring of fire," so an annular eclipse can also be called a ring of fire eclipse. Some parts of the world will see an annular eclipse Thursday morning, but we will only see a partial eclipse. According to timeanddate.com only 8.63% of the sun will be covered over Louisville Thursday morning. Sunrise happens at 6:19 AM and the eclipse maximum will happen at 6:22 AM, so the sun will basically be at the horizon when it happens.Â
Image from Great American Eclipse via EarthSky
IMPORTANT: it is never safe to look directly at the sun, even during a partial solar eclipse at sunrise. You still need approved eclipse glasses or welding glasses to view the eclipse safely. Make sure you have a clear view of the horizon so you can watch the sun rise and the shadow of the darkened moon pass in front of part of it. If you get a picture of the partial eclipse, send it to us on social media! We would love to share it!Â
