Viewing the Solar Eclipse on the Central Coast

A solar eclipse is expected to be visible across much of the western U.S. on Sunday, and the view frm behind the fog line in Watsonville should be magical.

In the hours before sunset on Sunday, the Earth's moon will pass in front of the sun—the eclipse will be between 5:24 p.m. and 7:42 p.m.

The last solar eclipse visible in the U.S. was in 1994. In California, Sunday's eclipse is the most extensive since 1992, according to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

NASA warns that people should never observe a solar eclipse with the naked eye, only through filtered telescopes and special glasses. To learn more about the eclipse, visit NASA's website.

If you want to do it up and watch through a big telescope, the Fremont Peak Observatory Association in San Juan Bautista will conduct a special solar program from 5 p.m. to sunset at the observatory. The observatory is located in Fremont Peak State Park (6878 San Juan County Rd., San Juan Bautista, CA 95045). You can obtain detailed directions to the Observatory from Google using this link: http://preview.tinyurl.com/7pov2fu Members of the public must be sure to pay the park entry fee before walking up to the observatory. You’ll be able to view the eclipse through special solar telescopes. They will also be handing out a limited number of approved solar viewers for direct observation of the Sun.

DIY: How Can One Watch the Eclipse Safely?
The following is from "Astro-Prof" Andrew Fraknoi: The best way to see the eclipse is to project an image of the sun (and not to look at the sun directly.) One easy way is to make a pinhole projector: Take two pieces of cardboard or thick paper. Put a pinhole in one (taking care to make a clean hole). Then stand with your back to the Sun, and let the Sun’s light fall through the hole and onto the other sheet. You’ll get a small but distinct image of the Sun. (A way to get a sharper pinhole is to cut a square out of the middle of one cardboard, tape a sheet of aluminum foil over the hole and put the pinhole in the foil instead of paper.)