ISU students will have the chance to see a rare natural phenomenon come Sunday night.

A partial solar eclipse will take place around 7:20 p.m. and will last until around 8:30 p.m. This is the first annular eclipse in 18 years Iowans will have the opportunity to see.

An eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. Because this particular eclipse will be annular, this means that the moon will look smaller than the sun. This creates a thin ring, called the annulus. However, because this will be a partial eclipse, we may not be able to see the entire eclipse or the annulus. 

The best view of the eclipse will be a wide open space facing the western sky. Students should note that it is extremely dangerous to look directly at the eclipse. A telescope equipped with a solar filter is the best bet for looking at the eclipse. Students can also create a pinhole projector using cardboard and white paper.