ATLANTA —
An annular "ring of fire" eclipse will stretch from Oregon to Texas on Saturday, October 14. During this type of eclipse, the Moon is near its farthest point from Earth, so it does not completely cover the Sun. The Moon appears as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright sun.
In Georgia, we will see a partial solar eclipse. Dr. James Sowell, director of the Georgia Tech Observatory, said over the three-hour event, the sun will take on a different appearance.
"For those of us in Atlanta, it’s a little more than 50 percent. So you’d have the disk of the sun, and part of it would be blocked out. So you would first see a little blocked out, and ultimately about 50 percent... The sun would be a crescent and then the moon would work its way out," Sowell said.
Although it may not be as thrilling as the 2017 solar eclipse, when part of northeast Georgia reached totality, this will still be an exciting moment to experience science.
If you want to view the eclipse, you must do so safely. You cannot just look up at the sun! You'll need special protection.
Special solar-safe glasses can be purchased online, which are much, much stronger than a normal pair of sunglasses.
"It’s taking away 99.99 percent of the light from all wavelengths. The sun is going to end up looking yellowish, but there’s no magnification," Sowell described.
If you're looking to buy glasses, beware of scammers. The American Astronomical Society has a list of recommended suppliers of solar glasses and solar-safe filters on their website here.
If you don’t want to purchase glasses – you can experience it at Georgia Tech. Sowell said they will have a public viewing event, which will be free and you will not need a ticket to attend.
"We will have 5 or 6 eye-safe telescopes set up on the Georgia Tech campus outside the Howey Physics Building," Sowell added.
The event will be weather-dependent. So if you want to go to that viewing event, they’ll be set up outside the Howey Physics Building starting next Saturday at 11:30 a.m. This is just one of several free public events around north Georgia.
11Alive's Eclipses Stream
- When: Starts at 11 a.m.
- Full details: Live footage from our sister station in Texas. Watch it here.