Solar Eclipse 2012: What You Need to Know

The annular solar eclipse is expected to be visible across much of the western U.S. on Sunday.

In the hours before sunset on Sunday, the Earth's moon will pass in front of the sun. The eclipse will occur between 5:24 p.m. and 7:42 p.m. At its best vantage points, the solar eclipse is described as a red ring of fire as the sun will look like a thin ring behind the moon.

A rare event, the last solar eclipse visible in the U.S. was in 1994. In Los Angeles, Sunday's eclipse is the most extensive since 1992, according to the Griffith Observatory, which is planning a public viewing.

The Griffith Observatory's telescope will be outfitted with special filters, and viewing-glasses will be available for purchase.

NASA warns that people should never observe a solar eclipse with the naked eye, only through filtered telescopes and special glasses. To learn more about the eclipse, visit NASA's website.

Thein Glendora offered these local areas to best view Sunday's solar eclipse:

• Any turnout points on Glendora Ridge Road
• Any turnouts on Glendora Mountain Road
• Anywhere near Crystal Lake Recreation and Crystal Lake Road