A "ring of fire" solar eclipse will pass over parts of the United States on Saturday — the first annular eclipse visible in this country since 2012.
Vermonters will be treated to a partial eclipse in the early afternoon, with the moon obscuring less than 20% of the sun.
(The Eye on the Sky forecast is showing mostly cloudy conditions for Saturday, which could temper the viewing.)
Here are some of the places you can gather in Vermont on Saturday with other eclipse enthusiasts — and maybe learn something new about the solar system:
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington: View the partial eclipse safely at the museum with the Vermont Astronomical Society and University of Vermont Society of Physics Students, and watch a livestream of the full annular eclipse from the Southwest. Eclipse glasses are available with a suggested donation. In Burlington, the partial eclipse begins at 12:12 p.m., reaches a maximum at 1:19 p.m., and ends at 2:26 p.m. (Details)
Mount Ascutney State Park: Meet at the summit parking area for an interpretive program beginning at 11:30 a.m. A limited number of eclipse glasses will be available. (Details)
Putney Public Library: Gather at the library to watch the eclipse together. (Details)
Jaquith Public Library in Marshfield: Arrive after 10 a.m. to make viewing devices to prepare for the partial eclipse. There will also be eclipse glasses available, as well as a solar telescope and binoculars. If skies are overcast, the library plans to livestream the eclipse on the library's big screen starting at noon. (Details)
Northern Skies Observatory in Peacham: Meet at the observatory behind the Peacham school to watch the eclipse starting at noon, weather permitting. Viewing glasses will be available for a $2 donation. (Details)
Burnham Memorial Library in Colchester: Make a safe eclipse viewer and grab a pair of eclipse glasses for this gathering at the library. (Details)
Brownell Library in Essex Junction: Kids ages 6 to 11 are invited to make a solar eclipse viewer and then watch the eclipse together outside. (Details)
More from NPR: An annular solar eclipse is coming to parts of the U.S. in October
Don't look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection (sunglasses don't count!). NASA recommends specialized eclipse glasses or a safe solar viewer. If you don't have this equipment, you can view an indirect image of the sun through a pinhole projector.
Keep your eclipse glasses: This week's eclipse viewing is good practice for the total eclipse that will happen April 8, 2024. Vermont is squarely in the path of totality for that event.
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