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Solar Eclipse 2015: The Best Way to Watch the Spectacle in the Sky

What to expect from the sky spectacle on Friday.

ByABC News
March 19, 2015, 10:00 AM
Denver public school students watch a partial solar eclipse using viewing boxes in 1979.
Denver public school students watch a partial solar eclipse using viewing boxes in 1979.
Ernie Leyba/The Denver Post/Getty Images

— -- A total solar eclipse is set to create the ultimate spectacle in the sky on Friday morning -- but the lucky few who have a front row seat will need to take measures to protect their eyes.

This solar eclipse will be northerly with those in the Faroe Islands, located halfway between Iceland and Norway, having the best seats for the solar spectacular before it sweeps across parts of Europe and northern Africa.

It's not safe to look at the sun with the naked eye and regular sunglasses won't suffice. NASA suggests viewing the solar eclipse with a special solar filter.

If those aren't available, there's a quick and fun old-school hack to make your own viewfinder using a box, a knife, tape and a piece of foil.

Under no circumstances should an eclipse be viewed directly through binoculars or a telescope, according to NASA, as the lens could intensify the sun's rays and injure the viewer's eyes.

While most of us won't be catching a glimpse this time around, it's still possible to enjoy the sights of the eclipse at Slooh's online observatory, which will live stream the event at 4:30 a.m. ET.

NASA predicts the "instant of greatest eclipse" will happen at 5:45 a.m. ET for people who want to watch online.

The United States will have its turn to enjoy the best seats in the house when a total solar eclipse passes over the country on Aug. 21, 2017, according to NASA.