Southland Prepares for Partial Solar Eclipse

Southern Californians will have a ringside seat partial eclipse of the sun tomorrow.

The moon will partially block the sun, resulting in a "ring of fire" around the dark disk of the moon. From Southern California, the moon will not be perfectly centered on the sun. So the 2 ½-hour eclipse, starting about 5:25 p.m.  Sunday, will be partial rather than full.

"From start to finish, it looks like something is taking a bite out of the sun, which keeps getting smaller and smaller,'' said Laura Danly, curator at the Griffith Observatory. "It's a very unusual sight."

Observers can steal a glance with the naked eye but should not look directly at the sun for more than a second or so.

"Sunglasses are not enough," Danly said. "You can damage your retinas if you look directly at the sun for any length of time. It's very risky it can lead to blindness.''

A is scheduled at Griffith Observatory, where telescopes will be set up and staffers will be on hand for the celestial event.

The eclipse will be the first of its kind in about 20 years.

People planning on being in the park for the eclipse should be aware that the California Music Festival & AIDS Walk, featuring KC & the Sunshine Band, is scheduled at the same time. Traffic was expected to be thick on Vermont Avenue and Western Canyon, and observatory visitors should be prepared
to walk, or take the observatory shuttle from the Sunset/Vermont bus stop.