Don't be fooled by the similarity between the words "annular" and "annual"; there is nothing remotely annual about the phenomenon taking place in our sky this Sunday afternoon and evening. Annular in fact refers to a giant ring (from the Latin annulus) that appears around the moon as it passes in front of the sun. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow across the sun that caused ancient peoples to fear the worst. What makes the annular eclipse even more astronomically exciting is that the moon is close to apogee - its farthest point from Earth - so that it does not totally obscure the sun; hence an extremely cool glowing ring effect.

The glowing ring actually only appears for those perfectly aligned with the moon, and astrophysicists who know this sort of thing tell us that we in Los Angeles are slightly off-center. No insult intended, but our neighbors in northern California, Nevada, and Arizona are apparently better aligned with the celestial bodies; our own view is expected to be a partial eclipse, without ring. Of course, partial eclipses are pretty darn exciting, too - but if you covet your neighbor's glowing ring, you'd better jump in the car and drive to Reno or one of the other lucky spots on the detailed map in NASA's JPL video about the annular eclipse.

Driving several hours north or west, however, is only for the annular eclipse purists, so, as long as you're not married to one of those, you'll probably be viewing Sunday's eclipse from close to home. Weather permitting, we should be in for quite a show before sunset. One great way to enjoy the view is by attending Griffith Observatory's Partial Eclipse Viewing Party. It's free, with the promise of various ways to view the eclipse safely, with filtered equipment, in the company of experts. If you'd prefer to watch quietly from home without the crowds, though, we've got some important tips to share:

• Never look directly at the sun! In case you thought this was one of those things your parents said that falls into the category of "Your face will freeze that way," think again! This is no old wives' tale; looking directly at the sun during the eclipse WILL cause permanent damage to your eyes - potentially even blindness. And, no, sunglasses are not sufficient protection.

• Welder's Glass: One safe way to look at the sun is using the same thing our parents used - a piece of number 14 welder's glass. Not everyone has one of these lying around the house, of course, and every welding supply company we called was sold out this week. Airgas in Culver City hopes to be getting more in before the eclipse, and amazon.com still has a few available as we go to press.

• Solar Eclipse Glasses: The other safe way to view is using a pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses. These are inexpensive items that look like 3-D glasses and can be purchased all over the web - except that many places are already sold out in anticipation of the May 20 eclipse. Opt in Oceanside still has plenty as we go to press and ships promptly.

• Solar Projection: While it is not safe to look through a telescope or binoculars without a special filter, you can use a telescope or binoculars to project the image of the eclipse onto a shaded piece of white of cardboard. The projected image is safe to look at, but it's pretty tricky to line up. What might be easier is pinhole projection, which allows the sunlight to shine onto the ground or another larger card through a tiny pinhole.

• Water Projection: Another safe viewing method is to observe the eclipse as a reflection, in a bowl of water.

• Streaming Video: If all else fails, several websites plan to stream the eclipse live; a quick web search should give you a front row seat.

The Griffith Observatory website has more information, as does this video by NASA. However you view, taking time out to watch an annular eclipse sunset with your kids is sure to become a lifelong memory.