How to Watch the Next Solar Eclipse

A partial eclipse is expected to darken the skies on Thursday.

ByABC News
October 22, 2014, 10:39 AM
A partial solar eclipse as seen during sunrise in the coastal town of Gumaca, Philippines, May 21, 2012.
A partial solar eclipse as seen during sunrise in the coastal town of Gumaca, Philippines, May 21, 2012.
Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

— -- Sky gazers in North America will have prime viewing on Thursday of the fourth and final eclipse of the year.

Get ready for a partial solar eclipse when the new moon obscures part of the sun, darkening the skies and casting a spectacular shadow.

The cosmic event will first be visible near the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russian and will move eastward, according to NASA.

If the weather is clear, the best views are expected to be in the Pacific northwest and northern Canada, while New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces will likely miss out on the eclipse.

PHOTO: A partial annular solar eclipse is seen from the coast of Xiamen, China, May 21, 2012.
A partial annular solar eclipse is seen from the coast of Xiamen, China, May 21, 2012.

The eclipse will begin around 1:35 p.m. in Seattle. As the Earth turns, the rest of the country will be treated to the phenomenon closer to sunset, with it reaching New York at 5:49 p.m. and Tallahassee, Florida, at 6:09 p.m.

NASA has posted a list of what time the eclipse is expected to happen in major United States cities here.

PHOTO: A partial Solar eclipse is seen just after sunrise over the Queens borough of New York across the East River, Nov. 3, 2013.
A partial Solar eclipse is seen just after sunrise over the Queens borough of New York across the East River, Nov. 3, 2013.

It's not safe to look at the sun with the naked eye and regular sunglasses won't suffice. NASA suggests viewing the solar eclipse with a special solar filter. If those aren't available, there's a quick hack to make your own viewfinder.

Place a small hole in a card and hold it between the sun and a sheet of white paper positioned a few feet away, creating a projection of the sun's crescent.