Here’s how to safely watch a solar eclipse

Columbia’s darkest day is coming this summer, and the city and surrounding areas couldn’t be more excited.

That’s because people in Columbia on Aug. 21 will be among a small percentage of the U.S. population to witness a rare total solar eclipse. Our geographic good fortune puts us in a narrow “path of totality” that begins in Oregon and ends in South Carolina. Columbia has the longest total eclipse for a metro area on the East Coast.

At 2:41 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, Columbia will get 2 minutes and 36 seconds of darkness – more than any other S.C. city.

In Columbia, the partial eclipse will begin at 1:13 p.m. When the total eclipse ends at 2:44 p.m., a partial eclipse will resume until 4:06 p.m.

RELATED: A sampling of eclipse watch events in and around Columbia

Of course, you’ll want to see it – but you must do it safely. From NASA:

▪ It is never safe to look directly at the sun's rays – even if the sun is partly obscured.

▪ When watching a partial eclipse you must wear eclipse glasses at all times if you want to face the sun, or use an alternate indirect method. This also applies during a total eclipse up until the time when the sun is completely and totally blocked.

This story was originally published July 2, 2017 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Here’s how to safely watch a solar eclipse."