Citing an ideal absence of obstructive cloud cover, scientists at the National Solar Observatory announced that today will be one of the best times for people to look directly at the sun. From approximately 1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, people living in the Northern Hemisphere will have a magnificent opportunity to look straight into our closest star, said NSO director Valentin Pillet, adding that everyone in the United States should be able to enjoy the astronomical event just by looking up at the sky and directing their gaze to the most intensely bright object they can find. The best way to take advantage of todays sun is to keep your eyes wide opensquinting, or even blinking, can compromise the viewand to avoid unnecessary filters such as sunglasses, which diminish some of the most impressive features of the solar surface. For those who miss the sun today, Pillet said scientists were optimistic that it would make another appearance within most Americans lifetimes. 