Solar Eclipse 2018: Moon Set To Partially Cover Sun This Saturday

A solar eclipse is set to happen this Saturday, Aug. 11, but it’s only going to be a partial one. The moon won’t be fully covering the sun, so it’s not as spectacular as last year’s eclipse. Nonetheless, this is still a rare occurrence. So everyone’s invited to witness it.

According to Space.com, the partial solar eclipse that’s happening this weekend won’t be as thrilling as the total solar eclipse that happened on Aug. 21 last year. Also, it will only be visible in certain regions.

The places that will get a good view of the partial eclipse include most of Asia, certain areas in northern Europe, Iceland and Greenland. It will also be viewable from some spots in northern and eastern Canada. Veteran NASA eclipse scientist Fred Espenak has shared a table of the countries and places that can get a good view of the eclipse at certain times of the day.

Sadly, the U.S. is nowhere to be found in Espenak’s table. Hence, it’s impossible for people in the country to enjoy this Saturday’s partial eclipse. For those who are near the listed viewing locations, they can grab the opportunity to look at the sky for a few minutes to marvel at the beauty of the rare event.

To be very particular about it, eclipses are not that rare for this month and the previous month. Just this past July 27, the longest total lunar eclipse of the century happened. Then two weeks before that, a partial solar eclipse also took place. This makes Saturday’s event as the third eclipse in less than a month.

For those who are eager to watch the partial solar eclipse, live streams of the phenomenon will be available online. Some streams could cost money though. Good thing, there’s going to be a free live stream of the eclipse on YouTube.

The next time people in the U.S. can witness another solar eclipse would be on Oct. 14, 2023. The next one after that is bound to happen on April 8, 2024. Therefore, it’s best for U.S.-based space enthusiasts to settle with watching the phenomenon unfold online. The best part about this is not having to use protective eyewear to see it, according to Bustle.