June 7, 2021: Sunrise has never been so beautiful … or weird. On Thursday, June 10th, dawn will break over the northeastern USA and Canada with a solar eclipse in progress. This map from GreatAmericanEclipse.com shows who can see it:

Beach communities up and down the Atlantic Coast will have a great view of the sun rising over ocean waves. If you’re in New York City, find a tall building with an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon; an eclipse over the cityscape is a great photo-op. Later, after the eclipsed sun climbs into the morning sky, iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty can be framed next to the fiery crescent.

This is not a total eclipse. It’s annular; the Moon is a fraction too small to cover the entire solar disk. Even when the Moon is dead-center in front of the sun, a little bit of sun will stick out around the Moon’s circumference, forming the fabled “ring of fire.” Only a few people in the northern reaches of Canada, Greenland and Russia will see it: visibility map.

For most people, the sun will look like a crescent. Dennis Put of Maasvlakte, the Netherlands, photographed a similar eclipse on Jan. 4, 2011:

“The eclipse was absolutely stunning!” recalls Put. “At first some clouds threatened to hide the event–an eclipse of the eclipse! I was very pleased to see the two peaks of the crescent sun finally emerging from the morning clouds.”

Similar scenes will play out on June 10th over urban population centers such as New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Montreal and Toronto. Much of the action occurs at the crack of dawn, so plan to wake up early. Larry Koehn of ShadowandSubstance.com has posted a good discussion of viewing times.

Warning: Even during an eclipse, the sun can damage your eyes. Always use safe solar filters and ISO-approved eclipse viewing glasses.