You Won't Want to Miss March's Partial Solar Eclipse
Partial view of the solar annular eclipse in Buenos Aires, Argentina, taken on Oct. 2, 2024. Credit - Luis Robayo—Getty Images
If you missed the blood moon total lunar eclipse on March 13 into March 14, you may have another chance to see an eclipse event later this month.
On March 29, people in parts of the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see a partial solar eclipse.
Though perhaps not as enticing as the April 2024 total solar eclipse—in which Americans had the opportunity to see the sun fully overtaken by the moon, casting parts of the country in darkness—the partial solar eclipse will allow some viewers to see the moon block up to 93% of the sun, according to Space.com.
Here's what you need to know about the upcoming partial solar eclipse.
Similar to a total solar eclipse, during a partial solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth. But unlike a total eclipse, the three celestial bodies are not completely lined up, and thus the moon will only block parts of the sun to viewers on Earth. To those in the eclipse's path, the sun appears somewhat like a crescent.
Partial solar eclipses occur, on average, two times per year, according to the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco, California.
The next partial solar eclipse, the first of this year, will occur on March 29.
According to NASA, the partial eclipse will have already started by sunrise in the Americas, while in western Europe and northwest Africa, it will begin mid-to-late morning. In eastern Europe and northern Asia, people can witness the eclipse in the afternoon and early evening.
The partial solar eclipse in March will cast a shadow across vast portions of the world, though different areas will be able to see different percentages of the sun covered.
According to Timeanddate.com, while over 800 million people will be in the path of the eclipse, only 44,800 people will be able to see at least 90% of the sun be covered by the moon.
Per NASA, viewers will see a partial solar eclipse in sections of North America, Europe, Africa, northern Asia, small parts of South America, throughout Greenland and Iceland, as well as parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Some of the spots whereby the eclipse will encounter the largest coverage include Halifax, Canada, where an estimated 83% of the sun will be covered at around 7 a.m. In Portland, Maine, 64% of the sun will likely be covered at around 6 a.m. Meanwhile, in Nuuk, Greenland, 87% of the sun is set to be covered between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Since the sun is never fully covered, viewers must always look at a partial solar eclipse while wearing protective glasses. Safe solar viewing glasses are different from normal sunglasses—they tend to be thousands of times darker.
Without protective gear, looking directly at an eclipse can cause serious damage or scarring to the eyes. 'Solar retinopathy is a photochemical injury to your retina,' Dr. Nicole Bajic, a surgical ophthalmologist at the Cleveland Clinic, previously told TIME via email.
A good place to buy safe solar viewing glasses, that meet the standard necessary to safely view an eclipse event, is through the American Astronomical Society's (AAS) trusted vendor list, Richard Fienberg, project manager at AAS' Solar Eclipse Task Force, told TIME in 2024.
'There are companies selling eclipse glasses under false pretenses. The two most likely false pretenses are the glasses have not actually been tested properly and shown to be safe, or the glasses are made in China but printed with information that says they're made in America,' he said.
If you have old glasses from a previous eclipse event, Feinberg said that these may still be usable, but they should be checked for holes and tears to ensure they meet the safety standard.
Viewers can also use an indirect viewing method, like a pinhole projector, in order to indirectly see the eclipse occur through shadows, but this must be done with care.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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