A Guide to the Best of Southern California : THE ECLIPSE : Look Later

Sure, the best sky-watching will be in Mexico or Hawaii, but a partial solar eclipse should be visible in Southern California. The show is expected to begin at 10:12 a.m. on July 11 and last a couple of hours.

Reminder: Sunglasses, exposed film, smoked glass and photographic filters will not protect eyes from the sun’s piercing radiation.

Griffith Observatory astronomers recommend No. 14 (density 5) welder’s glass or density 5 Mylar for safe viewing. The Los Angeles observatory sells the welder’s glass--packaged in a handy Solarama viewer card--in its bookstore for $4.95 or by mail order for $7.25. (Be sure to write “Solarama” on the envelope.)

And density 5 Mylar can be had in sunglass form ($3.50) or in viewer cards ($1) at Los Angeles Optical in North Hollywood.

Griffith Observatory, 2800 E. Observatory Road, Los Angeles 90027; (213) 664-1181. Los Angeles Optical, 12129 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood; (818) 762-2206.