There are several types of solar eclipses: total, annular, and partial. But how does a 2,160-mile diameter moon cover an 864,000-mile diameter sun?
Total: Our moon is closer to the Earth, therefore appears larger as it passes between the sun and Earth. A total eclipse occurs about every 18 months somewhere on Earth.
Annular: With an annular eclipse, the sky will darken abnormally (think evening twilight) however the moon is too small to block the sun fully. This size difference is due to the egg shaped orbit of our moon.
Partial: A partial solar eclipse is when a portion of the sun always remains in view.
Precautions for eye safety and viewing techniques (pulled directly from NASA's Eclipse website)
Do not attempt to observe the phases of any eclipse with the naked eye! Failure to use appropriate filtration may result in permanent eye damage or blindness!! The sun can be viewed directly only when using filters specially designed for this purpose. Such filters usually have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver deposited on their surfaces that attenuates ultraviolet, visible, and infrared energy. No filter is safe with any optical device (i.e. telescope, binoculars, etc.) unless it has been specifically designed for that purpose.
A total eclipse is to occur across the good ol' USA, through 13 states (South Carolina to Oregon) on August 21, 2017 - and north Christian County Kentucky is calculated as THE place to be for the greatest eclipse viewing, lasting 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The closer you are to the path of "totality", the greater the eclipse. If you are close, but outside the path, the sun will narrow down to a crescent then thicken up to full.
With something so special in our area, I thought it deserved a cache! Located in northern Christian County, it is placed with the permission of the City of Crofton. Original placement had several "sun/solar related" trade items in the regular-size container. Please place back carefully so others can enjoy. Also, for others' enjoyment in their search -- PLEASE no spoiler photos with give-away shots of location and/or container.