On the evening of October 23rd a partial solar eclipse takes place, ideally timed for North Americans to observe in the evening. The Moon's first contact with the Sun takes place at 4:25 PM CDT, and the moment of greatest eclipse is at 5:31 PM. These times are for an observer located in Minneapolis, MN; for other parts of the US, the times will vary slightly. Anyone wishing to view the eclipse should view it through special solar observing filters or by projecting the Sun's image. Don't ever stare directly at the Sun, even with sunglasses, and especially not through a telescope!

To simulate the partial solar eclipse in Starry Night 7 look in the Find Panel (the right sidebar) under "Today's Sky" and click on the listing for "Partial Solar Eclipse". Enjoy SN7!

Will you be viewing the partial solar eclipse today?