Partial Solar Eclipse Visible From Grand Junction Thursday

Just two weeks past a total lunar eclipse, Grand Junction sky watchers will get a shot at another celestial happening this Thursday (Oct 23) when a partial solar eclipse occurs.

Solar eclipses are cool, but, since looking directly at the sun is strongly discouraged, the viewing of the event is often times not as enjoyable as an eclipse of the moon, but, still can be quite dramatic. However, it's nice being able to experience such an event without having to get up in middle of the night.

The maximum eclipse will occur at around 4:30pm Thursday, so that would be a good time to take your afternoon coffee or smoke break.

According to Phil Plait's astronomy blog, this won't be a total eclipse, but the sun will look like a thick crescent. As of Tuesday morning, the forecast for sky viewing on Thursday in Western Colorado is good, with mostly sunny skies projected.