Solar Eclipse Expected to Be Visible in Parts of U.S.
Sky watchers from the South Pacific to the Americas will witness the first solar eclipse of 2005 today when the moon blots out part of the sun.
It will be a partial eclipse rather than a total one, in which the Earth is cast into darkness. But it is expected to be the last partial solar eclipse visible from the continental United States until May 20, 2012.
The broadest view of the eclipse will be available in Miami, where nearly half of the sun will be covered at 6:20 p.m. EDT.
Solar eclipses occur when the Earth, sun and moon line up in a way that results in the moon casting a shadow over Earth.
Today’s eclipse will last from a few minutes to more than an hour, depending on the location.
In much of the continental United States, people will see what looks like the moon taking a bite out of the sun, with the bite bigger over the South. People living north of a line extending from southernmost California to central New Jersey will observe no dimming of the sun at all.
Astronomers have warned people not to stare directly at the sun without eye protection.
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