A solar eclipse, the rare event where the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, can only be seen in certain places when it happens this week.  For those that are there to see it, please follow some eclipse safety procedures which will allow you to enjoy the astronomical event without any risk of blindness.  Sadly, no one in the United States will be able to get the full effect of it.  This will all change in 2017 as there will be a solar eclipse visible in the continental United States. 

According to the AJC, the solar eclipse of 2016 will happen in parts of Indonesia and the North Pacific Ocean Tuesday and Wednesday.  When it happens, the moon will block out the sun's light, turning night to day in Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi. However, Alaska, Hawaii, parts of Southeast Asia and eastern Australia will experience a partial eclipse, which means that only part of the luminary is obscured or darkened. 

For those who don't think that they can travel to those previously mentioned destinations within the next day, it is possible to livestream the event on starting at 8 PM Tuesday on NASA TV.  NASA is also live tweeting the event and will host a Facebook question and answer before the eclipse happens. 

For those that will be viewing the solar eclipse, hopefully, you already know about eclipse safety.  Time and Date give details about how you should never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection, as you can seriously hurt your eyes and even go blind.  Yes, even though the moon blocks out the sun, this is what you are supposed to do. 

In order to avoid eye injury when viewing a solar eclipse, it is suggested to make a box projector or two pieces of card-like paper.  It involves making a pin hole in one piece of paper, and then turning your back to the sun.  Then shine the light through the pin hole over your shoulder, so the image can be seen on the other piece of paper.    The other paper will have an inverted image of the sun, and adjusting the distance between the two papers will enlarge the image. 

The next solar eclipse is not due until 2017, and this one will actually be visible in the continental United States starting from Oregon and traversing all the way to South Carolina. There will be a lot more action in those towns in those states, and if you want to make your travel plans now, click here to find out more information.  It is stated that the next solar eclipse will not happen in the United States until 2045.