ATLANTA — A rare annular solar eclipse will be visible midday Saturday.
Georgia residents can expect to see a partial eclipse Saturday starting at 11:43 a.m., peaking at 1:13 p.m. and ending at 2:44 p.m.
Here are watch parties you can attend to catch a glimpse of the event:
Fernbank Science Center
The Fernbank Science Center will host its free Octoberfest event and will offer fun science activities ahead of the eclipse.
The center will open at 10 a.m.
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Smyrna Public Library
At the Smyrna Public Library, the public is invited to bring blankets and snacks and spread out on their lawn to watch the partial eclipse.
The library will provide free eclipse glasses to the first 250 people. There will also be crafts and science experiences.
Georgia Tech University
You can view the partial eclipse at The Georgia Tech Observatory with their eye-safe telescopes in the Howey Physics Building between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Emory University
The Emory University Observatory and Planetarium will host a viewing on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
There will be eye-safe telescopes and other ways to safely view the eclipse available.
To find the observatory, go to the fifth floor of the Emory University Math and Science Center at 400 Dowman Drive in Atlanta, and follow signs to the roof.
It is NOT safe to view this or any eclipse without the proper safety glasses or other special equipment such as eye-safe telescopes.
Normal sunglasses will not protect your eyesight.
“Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” NASA warned.
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If you are viewing the eclipse while wearing the proper eclipse glasses, NASA urges you not to look at the sun through lenses, telescopes, binoculars, or other items in addition to the eclipse glasses.
“The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury,” NASA said.
HERE’S HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ECLIPSE VIEWER TO KEEP YOUR EYES SAFE.
An annular eclipse is an uncommon type of eclipse where the sun will be visible as a bright ring around the moon.
During the event, the moon will look small and only cover about 90% of the sun.
If you miss it, it’ll be quite a while until the next one.
The last annular eclipse happened in 2012 and the next one happens in 2046.
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