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A total eclipse of the sun occurs Sunday, but
don't be so quick to take out your special viewing glasses.


      Unlike recent solar eclipses, this year's complete blotting out
of the sun will be visible only in a narrow slice of the Southern
Hemisphere.

      The spectacle begins at sunrise some 1,200 miles northeast of
New Zealand. The moon's shadow will sweep across the South Pacific,
darkening skies over the Cook Islands, Easter Island, southern
Chile and Argentina.


      The time of greatest eclipse will occur over open water, lasting
5 minutes and 20 seconds.

      Williams College astronomer Jay Pasachoff recently traveled to
the remote Easter Island with a small group of students to observe
what would be his 51st eclipse. They planned to set up telescopes
to image the sun's glowing corona - the usually invisible outer
atmosphere of the sun - which appears as a pearly white crown
during an eclipse.


      "I am sad that so few people will be able to view this year's
eclipse since it doesn't pass over major cities," Pasachoff said
in an e-mail.


      A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and
Earth. The moon blocks the light from the sun and casts a shadow on
Earth.


      Last year's total solar eclipse - the longest one of the 21st
century - fell over a wide swath of Asia, but clouds and drizzle in
some places prevented some revelers from getting the full
experience.


      "The key thing is to have good weather," Pasachoff said.


      Some eclipse chasers who can't view the exotic sun show at home
joined tours. Fifty people left on the Fourth of July for a
nine-day trip to the South Pacific. The tour was led by the
Planetary Society, a space advocacy group.


      Tourists island-hopped around Tahiti, the French Polynesian
island of Moorea and will head to the Anaa atoll, where they will
wake up early to view the eclipse expected to last three minutes.
The price? $4,995 a person, not including airfare.

      Scientists recommend that people wear special viewing glasses
during a total solar eclipse and avoid looking directly with the
naked eye.


      The next total solar eclipse will occur in November 2012 and
will be visible from northern Australia and the South Pacific.

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A total eclipse of the sun occurs Sunday, but
don't be so quick to take out your special viewing glasses.


Weekend total solar eclipse visible to lucky few

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