Champaign will be in the visible range of a partial solar eclipse this Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
When the sun, moon and Earth fall in near-perfect alignment, a partial solar eclipse occurs. The moon will cover approximately 58% of the sun during this eclipse, according to Arya Desai, member of the University of Illinois Astronomical Society and senior in LAS.
While the sun is about 400 times larger than the moon, the sun is also about 400 times the distance away, which allows the moon to seemingly block out the sun during eclipses.
The last eclipse visible from Champaign was in August of 2017. The next solar event will be a total solar eclipse, which occurs during perfect alignment between the three celestial bodies, on April 8, 2024 in Carbondale, Illinois.
On Saturday, the University of Illinois Astronomical Observatory will offer free viewings through its largest and smaller telescopes during the eclipse, hosted by the UIAS.
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“It’s the first time since I’ve been on campus that we have had an eclipse … It’s pretty great, pretty exciting,” “We have special filters (in our telescopes) to look at the sun, anyone can come and see.”
Although the event is open to all, precautions must always be taken to directly view the sun, even during an eclipse. NASA recommends viewers wear specialized glasses designed for direct sun viewing and notes that sunglasses are not sufficient eye protection.
