When Can I See The April 8 Solar Eclipse In Banning, Beaumont?

BANNING-BEAUMONT, CA — "You can lose an eye."

Remember that old parental warning? Well, if you plan to watch the April 8 solar eclipse, take that advice to heart.

Though the eclipse will be total for some 32 million people living or visiting anywhere on a path from Texas to Maine, in Banning and Beaumont it will be partial — 52% max coverage — according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code. The map shows the local eclipse timing as late morning in Banning and Beaumont.

If you plan to look directly at the eclipse, you must wear proper eye protection. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, looking at the sun without proper eye protection can harm your eyes, including permanent retina damage. Some people can even suffer "solar retinopathy," which is blindness.

Regular sunglasses are not strong enough to view an eclipse. Eclipse glasses are available online, but many are fakes, according to Rick Fienberg, project manager of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force. He spoke to National Public Radio and said the AAS website has a list of recommended eclipse glasses and other solar viewers made by reputable companies that are safe when used properly.

If you're geeking out and want to see the total solar eclipse, know this: It starts in Mexico, enters the United States in Texas and travels through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Related:

• Animals May Behave Oddly During Eclipse
• You Must Protect Your Eyes, Regardless Of Eclipse Totality: What You Need