Solar Eclipse Friday (1 August 2008)

A solar eclipse is expected to occur on Friday, the first one in two years. The full eclipse will be visible from the very northern regions of the world, including Arctic Canada, Greenland, Russia, China, and Mongolia. The eclipse will be partially visible in a much wider arc which includes the NE United States, along with most of Europe and Asia. The eclipse is expected to begin at approximately 8:30am GMT and last about two hours.

During the time that a solar or lunar eclipse is occurring, Muslims perform a special prayer called salatul-kusuf. This is done to acknowledge God's power, and to thank God for the blessings we take for granted every day -- such as the regular timings of day and night. Solar and lunar eclipses were often feared by ancient peoples, seen as bad omens or causes of death and war. The salatul-kusuf (eclipse prayer) helps remind Muslims that eclipses are not to be considered in such a light, but rather as signs of God's majesty.

Photo: A Jordanian woman uses a special filter to view the last solar eclipse in March 2006. (Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

Explore the wealth of information at About.com:

• Salatul-Kusuf, the Eclipse Prayer (Islam)
• How to view a solar eclipse safely (Space/Astronomy)
• Calendar of astronomy events for July/August 2008 (Space/Astronomy)
• Ancient views of eclipses (Ancient History)
• Not in the viewing zone? Watch a live feed from the Exploratorium! (San Francisco)