How to View 'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse

is SO yesterday. We are in for another extraterrestrial event this weekend: a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse that hasn't been seen in the United States since 1994, reports the Huffington Post.

Called an annular solar eclipse, the moon and sun will align exactly on Sunday, May 20, creating a "ring of fire" around the moon because of the sun's larger apparent size, said the website.

Although the best views of the full "ring of fire" eclipse will be from Northern California, those of us here in Chatsworth, Northridge and Porter Ranch will still be able to view a celestial display.

The Griffith Observatory notes for LA, the moon will eclipse 86 percent of the sun's diameter, which will be the most "extensive" eclipse the city has seen since 1992, said the Post.

Here's Sunday's eclipse schedule, according to the website:

• 5:24 p.m.: Eclipse begins
• 6:38 p.m.: Maximum eclipse
• 7:42 p.m.: Eclipse ends
• 7:52 p.m.: Sunset

Important reminder: no one should ever look directly at the sun during the eclipse, and the Los Angeles Times points to two ways to view the spectacle safely:

• Make a pinhole projector
• Use binoculars to project the eclipse on a white card

The Griffith Observatory is hosting a public viewing of the solar eclipse on the observatory lawn, complete with explanations from staff, said Huffpo.

For more information and other locales from which to view the eclipse, click here.

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