--- description: People across the United States will be able to look up Thursday afternoon to witness a rare partial solar eclipse. title: North America Will See Partial Solar Eclipse Thursday image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4514645c66721272/698762628e0601c54a457df2/186713002.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Outer Space](/tag/outer-space/) ## Outer Space Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Look Up: There's a Rare Partial Solar Eclipse Thursday by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 23, 2014 2:20 PM CUT  A partial solar eclipse is seen over the Sudanese capital Khartoum on November 3, 2013. A partial solar eclipse is seen over the Sudanese capital Khartoum on November 3, 2013.Anadolu Agency—Getty Images by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 23, 2014 2:20 PM CUT As long as rainclouds aren’t obstructing the view, people across the United States will be able to look up Thursday afternoon to witness the moon cover part of the sun in a rare [partial solar eclipse.](http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/10/22/partial-solar-eclipse/17663849/ "undefined") [According to Weather.com](http://www.weather.com/news/science/partial-solar-eclipse-thursday-20141022 "undefined"), nearly all of North America, barring part of Canada and New England, will be able to see the display. [_Sky and Telescope_](http://www.skyandtelescope.com/press-releases/october-23rd-solar-eclipse-press-release/ "undefined")has a list of when the eclipse will be visible in different major cities. The partial solar eclipse will be viewable in New York beginning at 5:49 p.m. and peaking at 6:03, though skywatchers on the west coast will get the best show — the eclipse begins in Los Angeles at 2:08 p.m. and hit its peak midway point at 3:28 p.m. local time. Here’s a map that tracks eclipse visibility: > [](https://twitter.com/beyond%5Fbeneath/status/524942593990197248) While there will be another partial solar eclipse Aug. 21, 2017, [_Business Insider_ reports](http://www.businessinsider.com/when-is-the-2014-solar-eclipse-2014-10#ixzz3GrntLlcD "undefined") there won’t be another that is visible to the entire country until 2023\. So maybe step outside — but take precautions. “Looking directly at the Sun is harmful to your eyes at any time, partial eclipse or no,” says _Sky and Telescope’s_ Alan MacRobert. “The only reason a partial eclipse is dangerous is that it prompts people to gaze at the Sun, something they wouldn’t normally do. The result can be temporary or permanent blurred vision or blind spots at the center of your view.” \[[_Sky and Telescope_](http://www.skyandtelescope.com/press-releases/october-23rd-solar-eclipse-press-release/ "undefined")\] ### See the Astronomical League's Most Beautiful Photos from 2014  The Rosette nebula, also known as NGC 2237 or Caldwell 49, taken from Waukesha, Wisc., on Jan. 6, 2014. Dennis Roscoe, Ph.D.  The Elephant's Trunk Nebula, also known as IC 1396, on April 14, 2014. Eric Coles  The Pleiades, also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters, imaged from Fayetteville, Ark., on Jan. 25, 2014. Joel Tonyan  Andromeda Galaxy (M31), imaged from Fayetteville, Ark., on Jan. 19, 2014, Joel Tonyan  A time lapse showing star trails above Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola, Fla., on March 30, 2014. Kenny Alexander  Eta Aquarid meteors above Bryce Canyon in Utah, in May 2014. David Lane  The Orion Nebula, taken from Waukesha, Wisc., on Feb. 7, 2014. Dennis Roscoe, Ph.D.  A star-forming nebula in Gemini, in January 2014. Brian Peterson  Propeller Nebula in Cygnus, also known as DWB111, on May 1, 2014. Eric Coles  The Milky Way, taken from Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Fla., on March 2, 2014. Kenny Alexander  An aircraft turns over the night sky with the Milky Way in the background above Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., on Jan. 5, 2014. Matt Jylha  Pelican Nebula, taken from Waukesha, Wisc., on Jan. 9, 2014. Dennis Roscoe, Ph.D.  The Horsehead nebula, also known as Barnard 33 in emission nebula IC 434, taken at Seneca and Oswego in Illinois, Feb.-March 2014 Martin Hrdlicka  A panorama of the Milky Way taken from Fall Creek Falls State Park during the Eta Aquarid meteor shower on May 4, 2014. Matt Harbison  The Rosette nebula, also known as NGC 2237 or Caldwell 49, taken from Seneca, Ill., in March 2014. Martin Hrdlicka  The Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457, taken at the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys on March 1, 2014. Richard S. Wright Jr.  The Milky Way with Venus rising at Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Fla., on March 2, 2014. Kenny Alexander  Waxing Moon over Winter Garden, Fla., on Feb. 10, 2014 Matt Jylha ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3533993/solar-eclipse-partial/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3533993/solar-eclipse-partial/"},"headline":"Look Up: There's a Rare Partial Solar Eclipse Thursday","datePublished":"2014-10-23T14:20:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:07:18.548Z","description":"Here's when to look up at the sky","url":"https://time.com/3533993/solar-eclipse-partial/","keywords":["Outer Space","nature","Eclipse"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4514645c66721272/698762628e0601c54a457df2/186713002.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4514645c66721272/698762628e0601c54a457df2/186713002.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sudan Solar Eclipse","caption":"Sudan Solar Eclipse","creditText":"Anadolu Agency—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/outer-space/","name":"Outer Space"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3533993/solar-eclipse-partial/","name":"Look Up: There's a Rare Partial Solar Eclipse Thursday"}}]}] ```