How to view Sunday's partial solar eclipse | News

An astronomical anomaly this weekend will present a great opportunity for those in the Spokane area to view a partial solar eclipse. 70% of the sun will be blocked by the moon. The eclipse peaks at 6:18 p.m. in our area. Around the world, the eclipse begins in China and ends in Texas during a three and a half hour trajectory.

We spoke with Jerry Eber with the Spokane Astronomical Society who says there will be three viewing locations set up for residents in all parts of town to safely view the eclipse from 5-7 p.m.

• Sky Prairie Park, Strong & Nettleton Ave.
• Franklin Park, West Queen Ave.
• Sports Complex, Regal & 46th

The have telescopes set up that are safe to view the sun through. Eber stresses that safety is the number one priority during these eclipses because of potential eye damage by viewing the sun straight on. They’ll also have sunglasses with special film on them to let people look through.

If you’re unable to attend a viewing location with a telescope or sunglasses, here’s some tips from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan [.PDF] with different homemade ways to view a partial eclipse.