How to See the Partial Solar Eclipse of March 29, 2025
Lou Gaioto / Getty Images
This calendar year has already been filled with exciting astronomical events, from a 'planetary parade' to the recent total lunar eclipse. This weekend we have a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025, when the moon passes directly in front of the sun as seen from Earth. This will appear as though the moon is 'taking a bite' out of the sun—the portion that the sun is covered is highly variable depending on the viewer's location, but in some places as much as 90% of the sun's disk will be blocked.
Solar and lunar eclipses happen once a year or so, usually separated by about two weeks, during a period known as eclipse season. Normally the tilt of the moon's orbit means it misses the sun in the sky, passing above or below it as seen from the ground. But when the sun, Earth, and the moon fall into a line we can get a lunar eclipse, then, two weeks later when the moon has moved halfway around its orbit, we see a solar eclipse (or vice-versa).
Meet the author: Dr. Phil Plait is an astronomer, author, and science communicator with a PhD in astronomy at the University of Virginia. He has written four books on astronomy and consulted on space TV shows and movies, including the 2016 hit, Arrival. He was also the head science writer for the first season of Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix.
Unlike a lunar eclipse, when Earth casts its shadow on the moon, in a solar eclipse it is the Earth that falls into the moon's shadow. In a partial solar eclipse, like what we'll get on March 29, the moon doesn't fully block the sun, but instead cuts a chord across it. Because the moon is between the sun and us, during a partial solar eclipse we're looking at the unlit side of the moon in silhouette against the far brighter sun, so by eye it looks like a perfect but utterly black section of a circle against the solar disk.
Last year's total solar eclipse drew thousands of umbraphiles to the path of totality (the next total solar eclipse is on August 12, 2026 and will be visible from parts of the Arctic, Greenland, and Spain). The partial eclipse won't be as exciting, but it's still quite striking to see the clockwork gears of the heavens revealing the motions of the heavenly bodies in this way, so it's well worth checking out.
Which brings us to an important point: Never look at the sun without proper protection. You can very seriously damage your eyes doing so; the ultraviolet and infrared light from the sun can cook your retinae (sunglasses don't block enough of that light to protect you, either). The best way to observe it is to specially made dark eclipse glasses, but you should get them from legitimate vendors. Don't just shop online for them because many companies sell cheap and dangerous knockoffs that can still hurt your eyes. The American Astronomical Society keeps a list of approved sellers; most are quite inexpensive, just a few dollars. They also list sellers of binoculars and telescopes designed specifically to view the sun, and filters if you already have your own equipment.
So who will get to see the partial solar eclipse of March 29, 2025? The best place for viewing is the extreme northeast US and southeast Canada—in southeast Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island), up to 92% of the sun will be blocked by the moon. Maine will see 60 – 85% coverage, depending on the exact location. Iceland gets up to 69%, and Greenland as much as 87%, while various locations in western Europe will see from 20 – 40% of the sun blocked by the moon. The Scandinavian Peninsula gets a decent view, with Finland seeing about 20%, Sweden in the mid-20s, and Norway getting as much as 60% (and, mind you, if you stay for a few nights you might also get a chance to see an aurora). Northwest Africa is on the edge of the moon's shadow, where Morocco, for example, will see about 17% of the sun covered. Even South America gets a (very small) piece of the action; the sun will get nicked by the moon in Suriname and French Guyana, with just 1-2% of its surface blocked.
In the US, Canada, and other western locations, the eclipse happens around sunrise, but the farther east you view it the later in the day it occurs. The entire event, from the moon first starting to edge onto the sun to when it moves off, takes about an hour and a half for the locations seeing the deepest eclipse, while for other sites it may only last half an hour. How much of the sun you'll see blocked and when the eclipse starts and ends depend strongly on your exact location. Your best bet for information on locations and timings is the terrific Time And Date website. For those in the States, NASA has published a list of when to see the partial solar eclipse in major cities, including the below:
Baltimore
6:55 a.m.
Boston
6:31 a.m.
New York
6:44 a.m.
Philadelphia
6:49 a.m.
Portland, Maine
6:27 a.m.
Washington, D.C.
6:56 a.m.
NASA also has a nice summation of how to see the eclipse, including a somewhat technical overview, and an interesting (if low-res) animation showing the moon's shadow moving across Earth's surface for the March 29 event.
If you choose your location wisely, you'll see a bizarre effect: the crescent sun will rise above the horizon with the 'horns' of the crescent pointing upwards (a bit like a lopsided Cheshire cat smile). As the sun clears the horizon it will look as if two triangular suns are rising next to each other. This 'double sunrise' will only last a minute or two, so you have to be quick to catch it. It will be visible in extreme eastern Maine, and in southwestern New Brunswick, western Nova Scotia, and eastern Quebec in Canada.
May you have clear skies and an unobstructed view so you can see this wonderful celestial treat—with the proper eyewear, of course.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
The Latest Travel News and Advice
Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips
Stop Counting the Countries You Visit
How Safe Is Flying Today? 5 Things Experts Want Travelers to Know
The Best Places to See the Northern Lights Worldwide
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Welcome to the best month of the year for stargazing — expect killer views of the Milky Way, experts say
'Core season,' as the pros at NASA have dubbed it, is officially upon us. While the 'core' of the Milky Way galaxy is visible in the night sky across the Northern Hemisphere almost all summer long, experts have long recognized June as the ultimate time of year for stargazers. Preston Dyches, messaging strategist at NASA, confirms this astronomical phenomenon in the June release of his monthly video series. The Milky Way core 'is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south,' he informed viewers. Advertisement This summer, skyward sights are particularly spectacular, partially thanks to the major lunar standstill impacting the moon's orbit. Paulista – The best news? Viewers in these prime locations don't need high-tech telescopes or even binoculars to stargaze this summer, though a closer view is often preferable for serious skygazers. The monumental sights spread across the cosmos this summer include several major constellations, ultra-bright stars, and seldom-seen planets. Advertisement Remarkable as this year's full strawberry moon, visible on June 10 and early June 11, is slated to be, the new moon on June 25 offers the darkest night sky — which makes for the most vibrant stars and planets. Early risers can catch a glimpse of Venus and Saturn, which rise around 2 hours before the Sun. Venus casts low, intense light across eastern skies throughout mornings in the month of June, while Saturn can be identified by its massive size and characteristic rings alone. Meanwhile, Mars can be spotted towards the west, and remains a striking sight around sunset, as well as the hours that follow. According to experts, the best places to stargaze in the Northern Hemisphere this summer are far, far away from major city lights. Anadolu via Getty Images Advertisement Jupiter and Mercury continue to appear a bit more elusive, even in June. Jupiter is typically visible early in June, but it is expected to return as a fixture of the morning sky in July. In the last week of June, keep your eyes out for Mercury, which, per NASA, appears 'greyish-brown to the human eye,' and will be discernible as a fixture of the evening sky, around sunset, in late June. Advertisement Other cosmic sights to behold include a slew of striking stars. Some seasoned stargazers take up viewing challenges during June and try to catch unique formations of stars alongside different planets. Regulus, the ultra-bright white 'heart' of the constellation Leo, will trail alongside Mars on June 16, while stars Castor and Pollux will form a line with Mercury on June 24, according to charts from EarthSky. Other visible constellations include the notable 'Summer Triangle,' which is made up of stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair. Longtime astronomer Patrick Moore originally coined the term, and said that not even the most 'myopic observer' could miss the cluster, which makes it a great starting point for beginner stargazers. By following these three bright stars, Milky Way viewers can spot Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Boötes, and Ursa Major. Observers on the East Coast of the United States are also expected to have especially unique skyward views as a result of recent Saharan dust movement, while stargazers closer to the northern border may have their sights obscured by drifting Canadian wildfire smoke.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Show Lands A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score From Critics
The Survivors Netflix has been on something of a roll with its mystery series as of late, from the 100% scored Secrets We Keep to the newly Emmy-submitted Dept. Q. Now, a new series has arrived from Australia that also has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. That would be The Survivors, a new series starring a lead from a rival streaming service, Charlie Vickers, who plays Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It also has Yerin Ha, the actress who was a supporting character in the awful Halo show on Paramount Plus but who has landed some seriously big parts including the co-lead of the next season of Bridgerton and now a big role in this perfectly scored mystery. What a turnaround. What's the story here? This is the official synopsis: Unlike Dept. Q, this is meant to be a six-episode limited series, and it was based on a book, so there's no more source material to come with its self-contained story. It debuted at #3 on Netflix, a very solid performance, but again, viewership doesn't really matter when you're not attempting to grab a second season. The Survivors As it stands, with limited critic reviews in, it has that 100%. There are not enough audience reviews for a score yet on Rotten Tomatoes, but we can head over to IMDB to see that it has a 6.5 out of 10 with a thousand or so reviews in. That's okay, not amazing, given the context of ratings on that site. What's good about it? Here's a sampling of the critical praise: With episodes around 45-50 minutes, it's perhaps a 1-2 day commitment, depending on your schedule, and an easy binge so you can see if your view matches critics. I started it, and I was sort of immediately put off by some bad CGI showcasing the original accident, but hopefully, it gets better from there. I'll give it more of a chance, I suppose. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists make jaw-dropping discovery after satellite images reveal what's hiding over a mile beneath Antarctic ice: 'It's like uncovering a time capsule'
Scientists studying the East Antarctic Ice Sheet discovered a 34-million-year-old river-carved landscape hidden under more than a mile of ice, The Brighter Side of News reported. The concealed world offered a unique glimpse into the history and potential future of the critical ice sheet. "It's like uncovering a time capsule," said Stewart Jamieson of Durham University, the study's lead author, per The Brighter Side of News. The preserved landscape, which existed before the formation of the Antarctic sheet ice, spanned nearly 4 million square miles, providing experts with an unprecedented view into the region's geological history. The team used RADARSAT, a Canadian satellite system, to detect the landscape beneath the ice, per The Brighter Side of News. By studying the preserved landscape, researchers can better understand previous cycles of freezing and melting that can be crucial to predicting how future Antarctic ice melt will unfold. Because the Antarctic ice sheets sit on land rather than floating in water like Arctic ice, their melting would have a dramatic impact on sea levels around the world. According to the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics, the basin where the researchers discovered the hidden landscape contained enough ice to raise sea levels by a catastrophic 25 feet or more. Still, the land under the surface of that crucial ice sheet remained more mysterious to researchers than the surface of Mars. "And that's a problem because the landscape controls the way that ice in Antarctica flows, and it controls the way it might respond to past, present, and future climate change," Jamieson told UTIG. Researchers expressed hope that the discovery will lead to similar findings in other regions. "This landscape hanging out there in the middle of the basin is a little bit of an odd phenomenon," said Duncan Young, a research scientist for UTIG. "We're now working to answer why it was preserved and use that knowledge to find others." Combined, the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland contain two-thirds of Earth's fresh water, and they are melting at an astounding rate, according to NASA. The Antarctic ice sheet alone is shedding a jaw-dropping 150 billion tons of ice every single year. While studying the potential future impacts of rising global temperatures is important, it is just as important to prevent planet-warming pollution from entering the atmosphere in the first place. By taking steps like installing solar on your home, switching to an electric vehicle, or growing your own food in a home garden, you can do your part to help limit increasing global temperatures and sea-level rises. While these might seem like small things to do in the face of such a momentous challenge, if we multiply those actions by millions or even billions of people, we can make a real difference. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
