Sunsets are always pretty, but the sunset Thursday evening could be spectacular.
The setting sun could be red, as usual, but we could also see a chunk of it missing.
There is going to be a partial solar eclipse Thursday evening. While the northwestern United States will be the favored place to observe this eclipse, sky watchers in southeast Kansas will also have the chance to see this partial solar eclipse.
It is never safe to look at the any phase of a solar eclipse without eye protection and this one will be difficult to observe, but if the sky has some haze and thin clouds you should be able to photograph the partially eclipsed sun setting in the west.
Solar eclipses take place when the moon passes in front of the sun, but for a total eclipse to be seen the sun, the moon and the Earth need to be in perfect alignment. By Thursday afternoon, the alignment will be off just enough that no one on Earth will see a total eclipse. At maximum eclipse, sky watchers in southeast Kansas will see approximately 44 percent of the sun eclipsed by the moon.
The partial solar eclipse will begin around 4:40 p.m. Thursday, and we will see our maximum phase of this eclipse just before sunset. The eclipse will be just past maximum when the sun sets at 6:31.
Plan ahead and see if you can find some interesting objects on the distant horizon and include them in your photos.
(Editor’s note: Mike Myer, Humboldt, is an amateur astronomer and often shares upcoming celestial events with the Register.)
Eclipse sets stage for sunset
