The excitement is sky-high for the upcoming total solar eclipse that is due to occur on August 21, 2017, and along with major events such as this come safety concerns regarding observers’ eyesight, as looking directly at the sun — even when much of it is blocked as it is over the duration of an eclipse — can cause permanent damage to the viewer’s eyes.
NASA, Sky & Telescope – A solar eclipse is due on Christmas day. It will be a partial eclipse of 72%, which is enough to dim down the skies across parts of North America. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada, you will be able to see it just after sunrise. Residents who live east of the Rocky Mountains, near Denver, will have to wait until 10 a.m. for the best view. On the West Coast, you can wait until around lunch time, after you?ve opened all your presents, to take a look at the sky. The full 72% of the eclipse will be seen only in Baffin Island in Canada at approximately 12:30 p.m. Everywhere else, the eclipse will vary from 60% in the Northeast to 20% in the Southwest, which will hardly be noticeable.
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