Most people are aware of the excitement that always seems to start to build in the months leading up to an American eclipse. This is a unique astrological event that occurs when one body in the heavens moves into the shadow of another body in the solar system.
Here on Earth we are lucky to have the possibility of seeing two different types of American eclipse situations. One is an eclipse of the moon, which can be very dramatic and interesting to see, and then the much rarer incidence of a solar eclipse.
Unlike the lunar eclipse, it is important to have effective protection for your eyes for a solar eclipse. If people don’t use protective eyewear that filters the bright light of the sun, they can actually damage their eyes. With the lunar eclipse, there is no need to use protective eyewear as the light is simply not bright enough to cause damage to the human eye.
A Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse can actually be one of three different types. The full solar eclipse will only be seen from a small area of the earth and occurs when the center of the moon’s shadow hits the earth, blocking out the sun. This creates a total night-like darkness which means there is a straight line through the middle of the sun, the moon, and the earth in the location of the full solar eclipse.
There are also partial and annular eclipses, which are more common than the full American eclipse which will happen in 2017. These occur when the moon, sun, and earth are not in a straight line, and only part of the sun is blocked
All types of American eclipse options need to be viewed with protective eyewear. This is not the same as sunglasses, as even the best sunglasses will not provide the filtering to protect your eyes.
Get the Family Involved
There is something deeply mysterious about solar eclipses, and the upcoming American eclipse is a great time to get the family involved in learning about this amazing phenomenon. As these typically happen rarely, the last American eclipse was in 1979, the upcoming eclipse will provide a full solar eclipse in some parts of the USA, and a partial eclipse in the rest of the country.
This is a great time to ensure you have the right safety glasses to view the eclipse. You can also do some research online and learn more about this natural event that is such an amazing thing to see.
