A very rare supermoon eclipse of the sun is happening this week that won't take place again until 2034
This Friday, March 20, marks this year's first and only total eclipse of the sun, when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun.
Not only that, this is an extremely rare type of solar eclipse because it takes place on the first day of spring and when the moon is at its closest distance to Earth, known as a supermoon.
(The supermoon, however, is a new moon, and will therefore be invisible to Earth.)
This is the first time since the turn of the century that a total solar eclipse has fallen on the same day as the start of spring, known as the vernal equinox. We won't see an event like this again until the year 2034. And after that, the only other two such events will be in 2053 and 2072.
Although no one in the US will get a chance to see the total solar eclipse, many parts of Northern Africa and all of Europe will get a glimpse.
The most stunning part of the eclipse, when the moon is directly in front of the sun, will take place at approximately 9:46 pm UT (5:46 pm ET).
Check out the map below to see where in the world the eclipse will be visible:
Time and Date
If you're not in the right spot to see it in person, you can watch it online. The Slooh Community Observatory will host a live, two-and-a-half broadcast of the event starting at 4:30 pm ET. The livestream is provided below:
What's happening
If you get any shots of the partial solar eclipse, send them with a description, your name, and location to our science team at science@businessinsider.com and we might feature them on our site.