PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN TO OCCUR TUESDAY

On Tuesday Cape Girardeau residents will experience a partial eclipse of the sun, the best eclipse to view here until well into the next century.

Craig Joseph, assistant professor of physics, said precautions are necessary when viewing the eclipse. People must not look directly at the sun. Although the sun's surface will be partially covered, enough light is left to cause serious damage to the eyes.

Joseph said, "This will certainly be the best one in this area well into the next century." Other eclipses will occur but none as dramatic until 2017, when a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in Cape Girardeau.

On Tuesday 94 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon.

In Cape Girardeau the eclipse begins at 10:14 a.m. The maximum eclipse occurs at 11:53 a.m. and it ends at 1:43 p.m. The moon will be moving from right to left across the sun.

This eclipse will get a lot of attention because from much of the United States it will be an "annular" eclipse. Annular means the moon will not completely block the sun. In some areas like St. Louis and Columbia, people will see a perfectly round silhouette of the moon surrounded by a ring of sunlight.

In Cape Girardeau people will see the eclipse at a different angle. The moon will appear as a semi-circle or crescent. "The sky will not darken that much, even though a lot of the sun is covered up," said Joseph. "Our eyes adjust to that."

To safely view an eclipse a person may use commercially-made solar filters or a number 14 welder's glass.

The more traditional way to view an eclipse is through a pinhole camera. To make a pinhole camera, take a piece of cardboard, and with a sharp pencil punch 1/16-inch holes in cardboard. A piece of white cardboard, an index card or white paper is held 2 to 3 feet away from the pinhole. The image of the sun will be projected onto the white piece of paper. The person operates the pinhole camera with his back to the sun.

"You should see a perfect crescent sun," Joseph said.

Joseph said safe filters and telescopes will be set up on the Southeast Missouri State University campus in the courtyard between Rhodes Hall and Johnson Hall for anyone who would like to view the eclipse. Joseph will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Joseph said people may want to look for naturally occurring pinhole cameras. When sunlight shines through tree leaves, among the shadows of the leaves on the ground, you may be able to see hundreds of little images of the sun. The reflections need to be projected onto a sidewalk or other similar surface.

If it is cloudy on Tuesday, the eclipse will not be visible.