Eclipse day: Clear skies, good viewing weather in Valley

Central San Joaquin Valley residents wanting to experience Monday’s solar eclipse won’t have any weather problems.

Bill Peterson of the National Weather Service office in Hanford said “we are looking at clear skies up and down the San Joaquin Valley” for the morning event. The eclipse will start at 9 a.m. and end after 11:40 a.m.

Peterson noted there may be some clouds over the Sierra, so anyone in the mountains may have some obstructed view. But the Valley will be clear.

The sun will be completely blocked by the moon in a narrow path of totality that runs across the United States from Oregon to South Carolina. In Fresno, about 72 percent of the sun will be obscured.

The sun can only be viewed through approved dark glasses, or by creating a pinhole camera using two pieces of paper. Staring directly at the sun can be dangerous for your eyesight, so experts say don’t do that.

This story was originally published August 20, 2017 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Eclipse day: Clear skies, good viewing weather in Valley."