March has a few treats in store for skywatchers. There will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse, and Jupiter will shine extra brightly. It’s a good month to look up, so here’s how to catch these events. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes directly between the sun and the Earth. The moon’s umbra (shadow) is cast on Earth. Residents of Indonesia and parts of the Pacific will enjoy a total solar eclipse on March 9. People living in Malaysia, southeast Asia and northern Australia will see a partial solar eclipse.

For places that are east of the International Date Line, such as Hawaii, the eclipse will occur on March 8. If you are lucky enough to be in the Pacific, be sure to protect your eyes when viewing the eclipse, and never look directly at the sun. If you’d like to view the total solar eclipse from your computer, Exploratorium will be live streaming the event. The webcast out of Micronesia begins on March 8 at 8 p.m. EST. Exploratorium will also host a live telescope feed of the event, beginning at 7 p.m. READ MORE


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