Two celestial events will tempt sky-gazers in some regions this weekend. Here’s what to know

By Gina Park, CNN

(CNN) — Sky-gazers should get ready for a full day of celestial events on Sunday, including a partial solar eclipse in parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

The partial solar eclipse will peak, the point at which the moon blocks the largest portion of the sun’s surface, at 3:41 p.m. ET. But the entire event, as the moon moves between Earth and the sun, will be visible from 1:29 p.m. through 5:53 p.m. ET, according to EarthSky.

Unlike during a total solar eclipse, the moon will only partially obscure the sun’s face, making it look like it is taking a “bite” out of the sun.

But this partial eclipse will only be seen in limited areas.

“If you’re living in the US, this isn’t a great solar eclipse to see, because it’s really going to be visible from the South Pacific, New Zealand and Antarctica in this particular case,” Jason Rhodes, chief scientist for astronomy and physics at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in an email.

Additionally, the partial solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Australia, according to Time and Date.

“We live in a very unique system (Earth/Moon/Sun) so that the Moon and the Sun are very nearly the same size in our sky. The Sun is physically much bigger but much farther (away from Earth) so that it is just about the same size as the Moon,” Rhodes said.

“So, we can get a chance superposition (or alignment) of the moon in front of the sun that can either partially or completely block the sun. And we call this an eclipse.”

How to see the eclipse safely

Anyone planning to watch the eclipse should remember to use safe solar viewing methods. Forgetting to do so can cause severe eye injury. No part of a partial solar eclipse is safe to view without proper eye protection because some of the sun’s powerful light will always be visible.

To observe the partial solar eclipse safely, wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer labeled with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on and put eclipse glasses over them or hold a handheld viewer in front of them, according to the American Astronomical Society.

Put on your eclipse glasses before looking up and remember to turn away from the sun before removing them. Always keep an eye on children wearing eclipse glasses to make sure they don’t remove them while looking at the sun.

Sunglasses won’t work in place of eclipse glasses or solar viewers, which are 100,000 times darker and held to an international safety standard.

You can also observe the sun with a telescope, binoculars or camera that has a special solar filter on the front, which acts the same way eclipse glasses would. Don’t look at the sun through any unfiltered optical device — camera lens, telescope, binoculars — while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer, NASA advises. Solar rays can still burn through the filter on the glasses or viewer, given how concentrated they can be through an optical device, and can cause severe eye damage.

A glimpse of Saturn

Those in the Northern Hemisphere who cannot see the partial solar eclipse will have a chance to see a celestial event this weekend because Saturn will be at opposition on Sunday at 2 a.m. ET.

“When a planet is in opposition, it means the planet is on the opposite side of the Earth than the sun. So the sun is in one direction and the planet is in another direction,” Rhodes said. “And for planets (farther) from the sun than the Earth, this is the best time to view them, because it’s the time they’ll be brightest in the sky.”

For best time of visibility, you can consult a planetary calculator. Saturn will remain visible through early October.

“You can easily see Saturn when it’s at opposition with your naked eye,” Rhodes said. “But if you have some time, I suggest to people that they find a local astronomy club and they go look at Saturn through a telescope.”

Without a telescope, Saturn will appear as bright as the brightest star, but with one, you’ll be able to see the planet’s famous rings.

“We’re entering a moon phase where the moon isn’t going to be so bright in the sky,” Rhodes said. “And so this is a particularly good year for the Saturn opposition.”

Upcoming full moons

Look out for three more full moons this year, with supermoons — full moons that appear while the moon is at its closest to Earth — occurring in October, November and December.

Here’s the list of full moons remaining in 2025, according to the Farmers’ Almanac:

• October 6: Harvest moon
• November 5: Beaver moon
• December 4: Cold moon

Upcoming meteor showers

Here are the peak dates of the remaining meteor showers in 2025, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky.

• Draconids: October 8-9
• Orionids: October 22-23
• Southern Taurids: November 3-4
• Northern Taurids: November 8-9
• Leonids: November 16-17
• Geminids: December 13-14
• Ursids: December 21-22

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