How To Watch The Annular Solar Eclipse

The annual solar eclipse, known as the "ring of fire," is set to grace the sky on Oct. 14 and we've got some tips on how to safely view it.

The eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth while it's at its farthest point from our planet. But Brian Elerding with the Los Angeles Astronomical Society says if you're in Southern California, you won't get to see the entire solar event.

"It's moving from Texas and it's got a whole swatch of land that it's going to cover from Texas to about middle of Oregon," Elerding told LAist. "We're going to see about 73% of the sun covered by the moon, which will happen around 9:24 a.m."

How can I watch?

Elerding says onlookers should be reminded that viewing a solar event like this can be damaging to the eyes. Sunglasses won't cut it, but there are other ways to view the eclipse safely.

"NASA has a little instruction manual about how to make a little shoe box into an eclipse observing box where you cut a little hole in it for the sun to shine through," Elerding said. "The combination of those things allows you to watch it as if you're seeing a little projected image on the inside of the box."

He said you can also watch it through a colander and free eclipse glasses can be found at all L.A. Public Library locations. Solar observing telescopes can also be found at the Griffith Observatory and will be streamed live on its website.