On the morning of the 14th, a partial solar eclipse will grace the Coachella Valley sky. Around 8:08 a.m., the moon will start to move between our planet and the sun. It will cover more than 70 percent of the sun at the maximum eclipse around 9:26 a.m., and the show will be over by 11 a.m. No part of this eclipse is safe to view with the naked eye! You will need a specialized solar filter or viewer to observe the eclipse. (Learn more at solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety.) While our desert does not sit in the central path of the annular eclipse, we will still get a great view.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org/observatory.