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Your Eclipse Soundtrack

by Jim McGuinn

October 23, 2014

Jim McGuinn and David Campbell
Jim McGuinn and David Campbell demonstrate the solar eclipse. (Not to scale).
MPR Photo / Luke Taylor

A partial eclipse of the sun begins today at 4:23 p.m., and it continues till sunset. Two important things to remember: 1) Don't look directly into the sun; and 2) Join Jim McGuinn for a custom-made soundtrack to today's celestial event.

Keep an eye on The Current's playlist for the complete list of eclipse tunes.

Meanwhile, our friends at MPR News share this eclipse information:

The moon will come between the earth and the sun Thursday evening, giving Minnesotans a rare glimpse of a partial solar eclipse at sunset. Here are a few tips on how to enjoy the experience, courtesy of NASA and National Geographic.

Plan ahead. The eclipse begins at 4:23 p.m. for the Twin Cities metro and ends a little more than two hours later. Sunset is at 6:15 p.m.

Don't stare directly at the sun. Even a tiny sliver of the sun can damage human eyes. Use safe filters like number 14 (or darker) welder's glasses or a telescope specifically designed for solar viewing.

Make sure to watch the ground. In Minnesota, the moon will block about 60 percent of the sun at the peak of Thursday's eclipse. Overlapping leaves on trees will act as miniature pinholes, projecting lots of tiny crescent sun shapes onto the ground.

Play with shadows. You can lock your hands together in various shapes, let light through the holes in your fingers and project images onto objects around you.

Don't miss it. This will be the last solar eclipse visible in North America until August 2017.