We're now less than a week away from an exciting celestial event.

You've probably heard a lot of talk about the upcoming solar eclipse that will be making its way across North America on April 8--which is this upcoming Monday.  Although here in Framingham we won't be in the direct path of totality, we will still be able to enjoy an impressive partial eclipse in which the moon will cover about 93% of the sun.

If you find yourself with your eyes to the sky Monday afternoon, it's important that you observe the eclipse safely. To learn more about what that entails, The Frame took a visit to the McAuliffe Center at Framingham State University to speak with FSU's Planetarium and Media Technologies Manager Ross Barros-Smith.

In addition to a telescope, it's also important to note that viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens or binoculars without a special-purpose solar filter can cause instant and severe eye injury, according to NASA. When it comes to obtaining these safety materials, Barros-Smith recommends that you verify where you purchase them from, in order to avoid counterfeits.

The American Astronomical Society has a list of suppliers with safe solar viewers and filters; that list can be found by clicking here.