Where to see the solar eclipse from the Bay Area
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A glimpse of this month's once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse is already one of the country's hottest attractions, and while the San Francisco Bay Area won't have the best view, we should be able to get a glimpse.
The big picture: Come April 8, as the moon's shadow passes northeast across North America, it should completely engulf several major U.S. cities in shadow.
Zoom in: The Bay Area isn't in or near the "path of totality" — the track of the moon's shadow across the Earth's surface — but we should still be able to see at least a partial eclipse, barring bad weather.
- For us, the eclipse is expected to begin at 10:15am on Monday, April 8, and end around 12:16pm, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
- If viewed in San Francisco, the partial eclipse will be at its maximum at 11:30am — the moon will cross about 34% of the sun's diameter, per the academy.
- Just make sure you wear eclipse glasses designed for solar viewing — looking directly at the sun can permanently damage your retina.
Several places are holding watch parties, including the California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, Lawrence Hall of Science, Chabot Space and Science Center and Robert Ferguson Observatory.
- You can also watch the eclipse online via free livestreams.