A partial solar eclipse will be visible over much of North America, on Thursday, October 23. The phenomenon will be visible from most of the continental United States and Canada, with the exception of New England and far-eastern Canada. The eclipse will be starting just as the Sun is setting over the northeastern regions of America, just before 6 p.m. EDT. The partial solar eclipse will begin at 5:51 EDT, reaching maximum coverage 17 minutes later, at 6:08.

Solar eclipses occur during those times when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun during its orbit. Our natural satellite constantly changes its distance from us, and when it is too far away from the planet to block out the entire Sun, a partial eclipse, like the one on October 23, is produced. At maximum coverage, roughly 60 percent of the Sun will be covered by our natural satellite, for viewers in central and western areas of the United States and Canada.

The next solar eclipse visible from the United States will take place on August 21, 2017. That will be a total eclipse, the first such event visible from the mainland in four decades, and many amateur astronomers are using this year's eclipse to train for the next.

"At locations where sunset occurs before the end of partial eclipse, some unusual pictures might be obtained, especially if horizon conditions favor the occurrence of the atmospheric phenomenon known as the green flash on the sun's upper rim," Joe Rao wrote for Space.com.

Eye protection while watching solar eclipses is essential. Welder's glasses should never be used, as they do not provide enough protection. Ideally, use of a telephoto lens or telescope with a proper solar filter, covering the front (objective) lens should be utilized for viewing the eclipse.

Pinhole projectors can be used to watch the eclipse safely, for almost no cost. The simplest of these devices uses two sheets of light cardboard or poster board. A thumbtack can be used to poke a hole in the middle of one of these sheets, which acts as a lens, to project the sun onto the other board, functioning as a screen.

Even indoors, some people may notice the eclipse on their walls, as tiny holes in window blinds can project an image of the eclipse on the side of a room. Venetian blinds can sometimes create a column of such images, running down a wall.

A NASA video detailing the upcoming partial solar eclipse is available on the ScienceAtNASA You Tube channel.