Rare sunset solar eclipse Thursday

The "blood moon" total lunar eclipse dazzled onlookers in the early morning sky on Oct. 8. A second eclipse this month will put on a sky show over most of North America Thursday.

This one is a partial solar eclipse, and a rare sunset eclipse for Minnesota and the Mississippi Valley.

Here are some critical viewing times for the Twin Cities metro. Most of Minnesota can see the event within a few minutes of these times.

• 4:23 p.m., eclipse begins

• 6:15 p.m., sunset

• 6:40 p.m., eclipse ends

• 61 percent of the sun will disappear behind the moon in Minnesota at peak eclipse

Here's a good description of the event from Sky and Telescope.

On the afternoon of October 23rd, two weeks after the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow, the Moon will cast some of its own shadow onto Earth.

Nowhere will this eclipse of the Sun be total. But as the map below shows, for most of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, the Sun will be partially eclipsed. For this event, the farther west and north you are the better.

In the American West the entire eclipse happens while the Sun is still fairly high in the afternoon sky. In most of the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, the eclipse is still in progress at sunset — offering dramatic photo opportunities if you can find a low western horizon. Along a line from the Florida Panhandle through Michigan, the Sun sets right when the eclipse reaches its maximum depth.

East of that line, the Sun will set after the partial eclipse begins but before it reaches maximum. New England misses out altogether.

The farther north you are, the deeper the partial eclipse will become. In San Diego, for instance, the Moon’s silhouette will reach 43% of the way across the Sun’s disk at mid-eclipse (3:32 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time). In Vancouver the silhouette will extend 66% of the way across (at 2:57 p.m. PDT). For precise local times for many cities and towns, and much else, see the NASA Eclipse Site.

NASA elaborates on why the central US is in the best spot for a rare sunset eclipse.

The eclipse will be especially beautiful in eastern parts of the USA, where the Moon and sun line up at the end of the day, transforming the usual sunset into something weird and wonderful.

"Observers in the Central Time zone have the best view because the eclipse is in its maximum phase at sunset," says Espenak. "They will see a fiery crescent sinking below the horizon, dimmed to human visibility by low-hanging clouds and mist".

Warning: Don't stare. Even at maximum eclipse, a sliver of sun peeking out from behind the Moon can still cause pain and eye damage. Direct viewing should only be attempted with the aid of a safe solar filter.

During the eclipse, don't forget to look at the ground. Beneath a leafy tree, you might be surprised to find hundreds of crescent-shaped sunbeams dappling the grass. Overlapping leaves create a myriad of natural little pinhole cameras, each one casting an image of the crescent-sun onto the ground beneath the canopy. When the eclipsed sun approaches the horizon, look for the same images cast on walls or fences behind the trees.

Here's another trick: Criss-cross your fingers waffle-style and let the sun shine through the matrix of holes. You can cast crescent suns on sidewalks, driveways, friends, cats and dogs—you name it. Unlike a total eclipse, which lasts no more than a few minutes while the sun and Moon are perfectly aligned, the partial eclipse will goes on for more than an hour, plenty of time for this kind of shadow play.

A partial eclipse may not be total, but it is totally fun.

See for yourself on Oct. 23rd.  The action begins at approximately 6 pm on the east coast, and 2 pm on the west coast.  Check NASA's Eclipse Home Page for viewing times near your hometown.

Stay tuned for sky updates this week!