N. America treated to partial solar eclipse Thurs.

North Americans, get set for the fourth and final eclipse of the year.

On Thursday, most of North America will have prime viewing of a partial solar eclipse. The new moon will hide part of the sun from view. The eclipse will unfold slowly following its start near the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia.

The best views will be in the U.S. Northwest and northern Canada, especially Prince of Wales Island. New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces will miss out.

In the eastern half of the U.S., the eclipse will occur near sunset.

Sky gazers are urged to protect their eyes with special filtered glasses. Regular sunglasses are not good enough.

This makes for two solar and two lunar eclipses this year.

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