Fresh off a spectacular total lunar eclipse, millions of Americans will soon witness a solar eclipse on March 29, 2025.
The good news is, it’s happening at a decent hour (beginning around 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET). Yet it’ll be visible to far fewer people. Everyone in the lower 48 states and much of the Americas could see (weather-permitting) the recent lunar eclipse, but in the U.S., the coming partial solar eclipse will be largely limited to the Northeast region.
It’ll be, quite literally, a sunrise event.
“In much of the Americas, including the Northeastern United States, the partial solar eclipse will already be in progress during sunrise,” NASA explained.
Here’s what you need to know about the looming celestial event:
Where will the March 29, 2025, solar eclipse be visible?
It will be visible in parts of many global regions, including North America, Europe, slivers of South America, Northern Asia, and remote areas beyond. For those in the Northeastern U.S., you can see your general viewing time in the NASA-provided chart below.
Partial solar eclipse viewing times for those in the Northeastern U.S.
Credit: NASA
Large swathes of Europe will see the partial eclipse, too, though in the later morning. NASA has an expansive list of those viewing times.
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What will you see during the partial solar eclipse?
During a partial solar eclipse, the moon passes between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on Earth. But, unlike during a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t totally block the sun. Hence, the partial eclipse. It’s like seeing a crescent of the sun.
Different regions will be in different parts of the moon’s shadow, meaning the people therein, weather-permitting, will be able to see different amounts of our star eclipsed by the moon (as depicted in the chart above). Folks in places like Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine, will see a considerable part of the sun eclipsed. New York City will see nearly a quarter of the sun eclipsed.
People in the colored boundaries will see, weather-permitting, a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. The orange loops show where sunset or sunrise are happening during the event.
Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
Do you need to wear eye protection for the partial solar eclipse?
Absolutely.
“When watching a partial solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (‘eclipse glasses’) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times,” NASA emphasizes. (Also, don’t view it through a telescope or binoculars without eye protection.)
Many of you may still have eclipse glasses from 2024’s total solar eclipse. If not, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has vigilantly vetted products and sellers, so you can make an informed purchasing decision. Here’s their carefully vetted list of suppliers of safe solar filters and viewers. “But don’t just randomly order them online,” Richard Fienberg, an astronomer and senior advisor at the American Astronomical Society, told Mashable before the 2024 solar eclipse. “Check the AAS list.”
“It will still look cool with eclipse glasses.”
Approved eclipse glasses block out much more sunlight than sunglasses, and comply with an ISO 12312-2 international standard. They block so much light, you shouldn’t be able to see anything other than the sun while wearing them.
As noted above, those viewing the partial solar eclipse will see a poignant crescent of the sun as the moon passes by. It’s not anything like a total solar eclipse — wherein the moon completely blocks out the sun and reveals our star’s ghostly atmosphere emanating into space — but it’s certainly worth witnessing the movement of these dominant celestial objects.
“It will still look cool with eclipse glasses,” Emily Rice, an astronomer at Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York, told Mashable.
