A rather rare occurrence, happening once every year or two, a total eclipse of the sun is a pretty big deal in the sky-watching community. Not only is it special because the sun's disk entirely covered by the moon, but also because it's a cosmic occurrence right in our back yard. But for those not living in the Arctic or on the Faroe Islands archipelago between Norway and Iceland, tonights events may be a little hard to see.
In the wee hours of Friday morning the moon, the sun and the Earth will align so that the moon's shadow will obscure the entire sun. But unless you're an Arctic dweller you probably won't be able to see the total eclipse of the sun, which passes over Svalbard, Norway once every 360 years. The partial solar eclipse will be visible in many countries throughout Europe such as Paris, Munich, Madrid, Oslo and even London, but if you want to see the cosmic wonder in its entirety, you're in luck!
Knowing that Americans and those in the southern hemisphere are itching just to catch a glimpse of the moon overshadowing the sun, astronomy website Slooh will be live streaming images of the total eclipse from Svalbard, and you can watch it HERE! The live broadcast will last for approximately two and a half hours, starting Friday Mar. 20 at 1:30AM PDT, however, the total eclipse will last just shy of three minutes. Tune in and check out the events for yourself, without having to brace for the cold or the polar bears on-site.
When Will We Have Our Chance To Catch A Solar Eclipse in the US?
If you're wondering why Svalbard gets to have all of the fun, you need not worry. Sky-watching Americans will have the chance to catch a total solar eclipse in their own backyards when the path of totality will sweep across the US, from Oregon to South Carolina, for the solar eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017.
