Our Moon, on May 20th, will pass directly in front of the sun for people living in China, Japan and some of the western states here in America. This is a morning event in Asia on May 21st, but a late evening event, for us on the 20th. As you look at the animation above, you will note that the moon doesn't completely cover the sun. This type of eclipse is called an annular eclipse of the sun -- which makes it a partial eclipse of the sun. Had the moon been as large as the sun or larger, then we would have had a total eclipse of the sun... but in this instance, this is not the case. Notice the people, the sky, and the landscape in the four photos above: the sun is still shining. And with the sun still shining, you will go blind if you try to look up and stare at the eclipse with just your eyes! Granted the sunlight in the pictures above looks rather strange or "weak." That is because the moon is blocking out over 90% of the sunlight. But again, that weak sunlight can still damage your eyes if you stare at the sun too long. Also look at the people in the photo... they are not looking up... well, not completely!

The safest way to view this event is to attend a planetarium, observatory or local astronomy club on May 20th. Telescopes and other safe methods will be set up to make your viewing of this celestial event most enjoyable. I traveled to St. Louis to the James S. McDonnell Planetarium way back in May 10, 1994 to watch an annular eclipse of the sun. Having just mentioned this, you may have noticed an odd coincidence in time... May 10th 18 years ago... May 20th of this year. What's going on?

This solar eclipse goes through a series of similar set of cycles called a Saros. The circumstances of this eclipse repeats itself every 18 years 11 days and 8 hours (and other lunar and solar eclipses do the same thing). This particular saros started all the way back in the year 984 A.D. The last one in this series will end in the year 2282. So based on ths particular saros, the next one will occur on June 1, 2030 in the eastern hemisphere, and again it will be an annular eclipse of the sun.

Getting back to that 1994 eclipse in St. Louis, there were several people holding a #14 welder's glass to look at the sun including myself. Do not buy # 13, #12 or smaller... they will not work and you CAN damage your eyes! You have to have a #14 welder's glass to see this celestial event. Several people showed-up wearing their welder's helmet to look at the sun. If you are in a large gathering, and you want the press and everyone else to notice you, then come wearing a welder's helmet! And another thing I should mention, don't use hospital x-rays for they will not work. I have seen people do this, and again, you run the risk of damaging your eyes.

And finally, what is going on with the box on the tripod you may ask, in the above four photos? An amateur astronomer had set up a telescope close to where I was taking pictures in St. Louis, and he projected the image of the moon passing in front of the sun. There were a large group of people sitting behind me in the grass watching this eclipse in this fashion. It was very safe and very enjoyable! I helped the amateur astronomer out by nudging the telescope every so often to keep the image of the eclipse inside the box (no clock drive).