Solar Eclipse Will Be Visible In Wyoming Next Month

Weather permitting, Wyoming residents should be able to see a partial solar eclipse next month.

But you will need special glasses to view it safely.

According to the Riverton Office of the National Weather Service, the eclipse should start around 9:10 to 9:15 a.m. in Wyoming on October 14, and peak around 10:30 a.m. ending around noon.

This year's eclipse will be an annular eclipse as opposed to a total eclipse. NASA defines an annular eclipse as follows:

"An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from Earth. Because the Moon is farther away from Earth, it appears smaller than the Sun and does not completely cover the Sun. As a result, the Moon appears as a dark disk on top of a larger, bright disk, creating what looks like a ring around the Moon."

People wanting to view the eclipse need to take the proper precautions, as looking directly at an eclipse can permanently damage your vision. NASA says special glasses are the only safe way to view an eclipse:

"When watching a partial or annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun."

Regular sunglasses, even very dark ones, will not protect your eyes.

In most of Wyoming, the sun will be about 70 to 80 percent obscured during the eclipse. But in some parts of southwest Wyoming, such as Rock Springs, over 80 percent of the sun will be blocked out. Of course, the ability to see the effects of the eclipse will depend in large part on weather conditions. If heavy cloud cover prevails it will be hard to see the eclipse.

The Riverton Office of the National Weather Service created the following video for Wyoming residents: