Partial eclipse of the sun best in Southwest

Mary Manning and Jean Reid Norman

Friday, June 7, 2002 | 9:26 a.m.

The partial eclipse of the Sun Monday can be viewed at the Planetarium at the Community College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., student observatory.

Never mind Siegfried & Roy. The sun and moon will put on the show to watch on Monday.

In the west, as the sun starts to dip toward the Spring Mountains, the moon will glide into its path, creating a partial eclipse.

About 70 percent of the sun will be hidden at the height of the event, around 6:20 p.m.

The show will be visible across most of North America, from Atlanta west, but the Southwest states will get the best view, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Some places in the Pacific Ocean will display the moon crossing the sun at dead-center. For about a minute, a bright "ring of fire" will surround the moon. Astronomers call this an annular eclipse.

NASA calls the phenomenon a "weird sunset" because the sun's position low on the horizon could produce spectacular colors ranging from shades of purple or pink to red.

It will be pretty, said Dale Etheridge, director of The Planetarium at the Community College of Southern Nevada, but it won't be scientifically significant.

Only a total eclipse blocks out enough light to allow scientists to study the sun's atmosphere, the corona, he said. And since Skylab went into orbit in the 1970s, most research on the sun has come from its observations, he said.

Partial eclipses, he said "are neat, but there's not a lot of science that happens."

They probably also are unique to Earth, said Professor Jeremy King, an astronomer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"It's interesting that the angular size of the moon is the same as the angular size of the sun," he said. "If the moon were a different size or if it were a different distance from the Earth or the sun were a different distance, we wouldn't have an eclipse.

"It's freaky."

Showtime in Las Vegas will begin about 5:15 p.m., and it is expected to end about 7:20, just before sunset at 7:57.

Southern Nevadans should be able to enjoy the eclipse in slightly cooler weather, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Gorelow. The forecast calls for highs in the lower 90s on a day expected to be clear and sunny -- or partially sunny, anyway.

Whatever you do, don't look directly at the eclipse, the experts say. Staring directly at the sun, even in eclipse, can blind humans.

It's true, King said. "Galileo went blind from observing the sun. He was counting sun spots and went blind doing it."

Isn't it safe at sunset, when the orb seems tame on the horizon?

"I wouldn't recommend people looking at the sun," the scientist said. "But when it's low in the sky or low with clouds, I'll sneak a peek."

One way to ensure a safe eclipse-watching experience is to head out to The Planetarium at CCSN's Cheyenne Avenue campus. It will offer free viewings starting at 5 p.m. Sun gazers also can buy clip-on shades for $2 each at the planetarium's gift shop.

The two large telescopes in The Planetarium's dome will be outfitted Monday with special filters so the public can see the eclipse, Daisy Polidoro, an assistant at The Planetarium, said. Another five portable telescopes will be available with filters, she said.

An easy way to see the eclipse at home is find a room with a west-facing window and draw the shades. Any tiny crack or opening will cast an outline of the crescent sun onto a far wall.