A Solar Eclipse Is Coming This Week—Here’s How to See It

The U.S. will experience a partial solar eclipse on March 29—just about a month after the lunar eclipse.

According to NASA, “a solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.” During this time, depending on your location, you might notice a shadow over the Sun, almost as though the Moon is swallowing it.

“Sometimes the Moon only blocks part of the Sun’s light. This is called a partial solar eclipse,” NASA continued. “Other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun’s light. This is called a total solar eclipse.”

This Week’s Solar Eclipse Might Be Visible In Your State

This month’s solar eclipse will be a partial eclipse.

For reference, here in the U.S., we experienced a total solar eclipse in April of last year. Before that, it was August of 2017. However, another one won’t be fully visible in the U.S. for decades. 

A total solar eclipse happens on Earth about every 18 months, though it isn’t always visible in the same location. For example, according to Amir Caspi, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, the next total solar eclipse won’t happen until August 12, 2026, per CNN. However, that one will only be visible to Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and part of Portugal. 

“As the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it casts a shadow on part of the Earth,” NASA further explained. “The Moon’s shadow creates a trail as Earth rotates. This trail is called the path of totality. If you want to experience total darkness during an eclipse, you have to be in the path of totality.”

Parts of the U.S. will be able to witness March’s partial solar eclipse, and it will appear as though the Moon took a bite out of the Sun.

The following states might see parts of the eclipse: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. But remember, do not look without eclipse sunglasses.