Eclipse draws attention on Christmas Day

There’s an unusual event to see in the sky on this Christmas Day. It’s not the Star of Bethlehem, but a partial solar eclipse. Dr. Larry Staunton is chairman of the Drake University astronomy and physics departments. He says it will NOT get black as night, as this is only a partial eclipse of about 60-percent, meaning the moon will cover about 60-percent of the sun’s diameter. He explains when the view will be best around 9:30 and over by one o’clock.Dr. Staunton says it’s been many decades since an eclipse occurred on December 25th and it’ll be 300 years before there’s another one on this date.Dr. Staunton warns Iowans not to look directly at the event but to use welder’s goggles, a professional solar filter or a pinhole viewer. More primitive cultures viewed eclipses of the sun and moon as signs of death and destruction.