GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A solar eclipse will occur Thursday, June 10, 2021. This comes as the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun's rays so that a bright ring is created around the moon. It is often referred to as a 'ring of fire.'
You might be asking yourself how this is possible when considering the large size of the sun. Well, despite the sun being 400 times larger than the moon, it is 400 times farther from Earth, allowing the sun and moon to appear nearly the same size in the sky.
West Michigan will see between 40% to 60% of the sun obstructed during the solar eclipse at 6 a.m. Thursday. It will begin at 5:55 a.m., be at its maximum at 5:58 am, and end at 6:37 a.m., lasting a total of 42 minutes.
You should never look directly at a solar eclipse. Even sunglasses do not provide enough protection. Solar eclipse glasses can be purchased for safe viewing. NASA also provides a fun activity to indirectly look at a solar eclipse, known as a pinhole camera.
Be sure to check back with the weather department to see how viewing conditions end up shaping out.
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