A total solar eclipse is extremely rare. A partial one? Not so much.
The last time an eclipse graced Sacramento was Oct. 23, 2014. It was a partial solar eclipse.
David Reitzel, an astronomical lecturer at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, said you don't need to be anywhere special to view a partial solar eclipse, noting that about half the earth gets it.
Folks in Sacramento can expect to see a partial solar eclipse come Aug. 21.
"They’re fairly common, this one in particular, it’ll cover a large fraction of the sun," said Reitzel. "The closer you are to that point of totality, the more the sun will be covered."
And none of us were alive for the last total solar eclipse visible in Sacramento. That happened in June of 1424!
University of California, Davis physics professor Lloyd Knox stresses eye safety with the upcoming eclipse.
"I think it’s almost a certainty that someone’s going to go blind because of this eclipse,"said Knox.
Eclipse glasses can be purchased through the Griffith Observatory's web store and locally at Fry's Electronics.
The American Astronomical Society also has a list of reputable vendors.
