Write these dates down and pray for clear skies: Wednesday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Oct. 23.

Oct. 8 brings a total lunar eclipse, and Oct. 23 brings a partial solar eclipse. We'll be able to see both.

Lunar eclipses occur with relative frequency and are generous with their visibility, while solar eclipses sometimes require a journey to some far-off land to witness even a partial one.

Connecticut will be just within the path of the upcoming partial solar eclipse. If we were any farther east we'd miss it. (The unfortunate souls in Maine won't see anything.)

The sun will set in Connecticut before the eclipse finishes, but we should be able to see a small bite taken out of the side of the sun a little before sunset. The moon will touch the sun's edge at 5:50 p.m. and then, as the sun approaches the horizon, the maximum eclipse visible to us will take place at 5:54 p.m. The sun sets around 6:03 while the eclipse is still in play.

I'm tempted to drive farther west and visit my brother and his family in Rochester, N.Y., for a better view of this awesome event. (If the sight is still underwhelming, seeing my 16-month-old niece, Molly, will serve as a more than adequate consolation prize.)

Or, we can all wait until Aug. 21, 2017, for a partial eclipse that takes a much bigger bite out of the sun from our viewpoint in Connecticut.

An average of five solar eclipses come around every couple of years. They can be one of four types; total eclipses are the most dramatic and occur only about once during the two-year time period. To see one means to ensure you're somewhere on the half a percent of the Earth's surface along the path of visibility. During a total eclipse, the moon is closest to Earth in its monthly orbit (perigee) and so it completely blocks the sun as it passes.

Although they are the most dramatic, total eclipses aren't the rarest kind of solar eclipses. That distinction belongs to hybrid solar eclipses, which appear partial in some parts of the world and total in others.

Annular eclipses aren't as dramatic but are a treat nonetheless. During annular eclipses, the moon is farther from Earth (apogee) so it doesn't quite cover the sun's whole surface as it passes in front. Partial eclipses, like the one coming Oct. 23, are even less dramatic but they are still something to see as they show the moon's outer shadow gliding across the top or the bottom of the sun's face - the moon's body doesn't actually pass directly in front of the sun.

Since staring directly at the sun is never a good idea (blindness or other permanent damage can occur), solar eclipse observers must watch through a solar filter made for their telescope or binoculars, a sheet of shade-14 welder's glass, or watch indirectly by projecting the sun's image through a pinhole projector. To make one, cut a square in a piece of white cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over the square you just cut. Then poke a pinhole in the foil and hold up toward the sky (without looking) to allow sunlight to be projected onto a solid-colored surface, such as another piece of white cardboard or a wall.

The total eclipse of the moon on Oct. 8 doesn't require luck of the draw location-wise - just a spot anywhere on the dark side of Earth. Lunar eclipses last much longer, allowing the luxury of viewing at a more convenient time or waiting out clouds. They also create some really neat red or orange shading on the moon thanks to sunlight passing through our atmosphere on the way to the moon.

From our point of view, the lunar eclipse will begin at 4:17 a.m. and max out at 6:55 a.m., and then the moon sets at 7:01 a.m. before the eclipse is over. As totality sets in at approximately 6:27 a.m., the moon will be completely red and will be close to the western horizon, adding to the dramatic view by making it appear larger than it is.

localuniverse@msn.com

SKY CALENDAR

Oct. 8: Total lunar eclipse.

Oct. 17: Moon passes 5 degrees south of Jupiter at midnight.

Oct. 21: Orionid meteor shower peaks. These shooting stars are caused by remnants of Halley's Comet burning up as they pass through Earth's atmosphere. Look to Orion for the radiant (source) of the meteors.

Oct. 23: Partial solar eclipse.