Partial Solar Eclipse is Slated to Bring a Crescent Sunrise

A partial solar eclipse is scheduled to bring a crescent Sunrise to more than 75 million Americans. In Canada and other northern latitudes, a rare ring of fire solar eclipse will darken skies.Solar eclipses occur when the moon partially or fully blocks the sun.

Thursday morning’s eclipse special is that it’s a Sunrise eclipse, making for dramatic photo opportunities as the eclipsed sun poses over the ocean or as a backdrop for city skylines. As one goes farther north, there will be a deeper eclipse, with more of the sun obscured by the moon.

In D.C., 55% of the sun will be blocked, with maximum eclipse coming just five minutes after Sunrise at 5:42 a.m. Buffalo will see 78% coverage centered right around Sunrise. Low- to mid-level clouds could be problematic from the nation’s capital and west toward the Ohio Valley, with a few showers and storms dotting the landscape from the central Appalachians to North Carolina.

Washington could be fringed by a few breaks of clearing skies to the north, but the forecast doesn’t now offer much reason for optimism.Closer to New York City, a push of dry air from the north should scour out any clouds that may get in the way, allowing for prime viewing.New England has a good shot of mostly clear skies, too. Skywatchers in much of Canada and parts of the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and northern Africa will also have visibility of a partial solar eclipse. skywatchers had fun viewing the Super Flower Blood Moon of May, the only total lunar eclipse of the year. Faherty explained that it’s no coincidence that the two eclipses are happening so close to one another.