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Solar Eclipse Visible in Paducah This Evening

Solar Eclipse Visible in Paducah This Evening
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By West Kentucky Star Staff
Oct. 23, 2014
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 23, 2014 | 10:08 AM

**WARNING**
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN DURING A SOLAR ECLIPSE

 

PADUCAH, KY -  Get ready for around 37% less sun this evening across Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois.  A rare sunset solar eclipse will be taking place across much of North America.

The further south you go, the less viewable it will be.  Scientists say the eclipse will be occurring just shortly before sunset.  The eclipse should begin at around 4:54 pm, but that will all depend on where you live.  70 miles east of Paducah, in Hopkinsville, the eclipse begins at 4:50 pm.  The maximum point of the eclipse will be at around 5:52 pm in Hopkinsville (the closest location listed near Paducah), with a sunset at 6:02 pm there.

In Paducah, we should get an additional 5 minutes of being able to view the eclipse.  The sun sets at 6:07 pm here.

NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak says “Observers in the Central Time zone (Paducah's time zone) have the best view because the eclipse is in its maximum phase at sunset. They will see a fiery crescent sinking below the horizon, dimmed to human visibility by low-hanging clouds and mist.”

Sunglasses are not suitable for viewing.

Ways to view the eclipse include projection, by making a pinhole camera.

“Place a pinhole or small opening in a card, and hold it between the sun and a screen – giant sheet of white paper works – a few feet away. An image of the sun will be seen on the screen,” NASA said.

“Projected images of the sun’s crescent during an eclipse may even be seen on the ground in the small openings created by interlacing fingers, or in the dappled sunlight beneath a leafy tree. You can also use binoculars to project a magnified image of the sun on a white card.”

Filters are also an option, along with telescopes with solar filters.

“The sun can be viewed directly only when using filters specifically designed for this purpose. Such filters usually have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver deposited on their surfaces. One of the most widely available filters for safe eclipse viewing is a #14 (or darker) welder’s glass. A welding glass that permits you to see the landscape is not safe. Aluminized mylar manufactured specifically for solar observation can also be used. Mylar can easily be cut with scissors and adapted to any kind of box or viewing device.”



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