On the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun. A giant sunspot spitting powerful x-rays will make the eclipse that much cooler. The rare combination is pairing a powerful x-class solar flare with a partial shadow cast by the moon to create what will surely be a dramatic effect.
The sunspot providing the eclipse enhancement is already the largest seen in 25 years and its activity is expected to continue for a while. On Oct. 22, the energy released from from the solar flare was measured at a strength stronger than a million times the yield of every nuclear weapon on Earth.
Viewing is expected to be best in the United States and Canada. NASA has provided a handy chart to determine best peak viewing times by major city.
Requisite safety reminder: don’t look directly into the sun! If you’re not in the US or Canada or your view is obstructed by cloud cover, you can see a livecast of the event from the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter in Arizona.
[via Universe Today]