Solar eclipse: Excitement builds as event nears [View all]

[MindMover]

Excitement is building over a rare "ring" eclipse that is expected to be visible in California and other parts of the Southwest.

The Griffith Observatory is set to hold a special eclipse-viewing event Sunday, and plans to sell affordable eclipse-viewing glasses and other devices that will project images of the eclipse on the ground. Regular sunglasses will not protect the eyes, said observatory spokeswoman Susan Szotyori.

Telescopes equipped with special filters will also be set up to help the public view the eclipse, officials said.

The best view of the ring eclipse -- which scientists call an "annular" eclipse, in which the moon completely blocks out the sun except for an annulus, or ring of fire, around the moon's edge -- is expected to be on the northern edge of California, coursing near Eureka, Redding, the northern suburbs of Sacramento
and Lake Tahoe.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/solar-eclipse-excitement-builds-as-event-nears.html