Solar eclipse for much of the U.S.

It's been quite a while since we in the United States have enjoyed an eclipse of the sun -- about seven years, to be exact. One is soon to occur, but what you'll see will depend on where you are.

Unfortunately, Long Islanders likely won't see much.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon in its orbit passes between Earth and the sun and blocks out a portion of our star from view. During the afternoon of Sunday, May 20, sky watchers throughout much of North America will see the moon's silhouette appear to take an increasingly larger "bite" out of the sun's disk.

While those in the western United States will see as much as 97 percent of the sun blotted out, those in the far eastern U.S. will see very little before sunset. Check out this interactive eclipse map for more details: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20A-google.html. Simply zoom in and click on your location, and you'll find the eclipse times and other important data.

Keep in mind that the times presented are in Universal Time (UT), which is essentially the time in Greenwich, England, and you'll need to convert to your own local time. Eastern Daylight Time is four hours behind UT.

I cannot emphasize enough: Safely view the eclipse. Looking at the sun without a proper solar filter -- even for an instant -- can cause permanent eye damage or blindness.

Better still: Check with your local planetarium, science museum or amateur astronomy club about where, or if, they'll set up that day for free public viewing.

If you're in the path of the eclipse, enjoy the show -- safely. The next one in the U.S. won't come for another five years.