Partial solar eclipse will be visible in Saskatoon

The sun is obscured by the moon during an annular solar eclipse on May 21, 2012 in Beijing, China. file photo. (ChinaFotoPress)

The sun will look a little different in Saskatoon and across a wide area of North America Thursday afternoon as a partial solar eclipse will create a crescent sun.

The eclipse will last for a few hours starting just before 3 p.m., with the maximum eclipse coming at 4:13 p.m. when approximately three-quarters of the sun will be covered.

The observatory on the University of Saskatchewan campus will be open to the public for viewing.

People wanting to view the eclipse are reminded not to stare directly at the sun and to use viewing devices such as a pinhole camera.

A solar eclipse is not as common as a lunar eclipse, with only two visible from Saskatoon during the last 35 years.