A partial solar eclipse will be viewable across much of North America on Thursday as the new moon passes in front of the sun. The Northeast, however, is likely to miss it because the sun will be setting by the time the moon moves into position. But people in Los Angeles should see 45 percent of the sun’s diameter covered at 3:38 p.m. local time. In Seattle, almost two-thirds of the sun should be covered at 3 p.m., and the eclipse will cover a little more than half the sun for viewers in Denver and Chicago. People wishing to view it directly are advised to use special solar filters made of black polymer, not regular sunglasses. To safely see the eclipse indirectly, punch a quarter-inch hole in a piece of cardboard. With the sun at your back, use that hole to project its image on the ground or on a wall.