Partial eclipse is a dream for space photographers

Story highlights

Thursday's partial eclipse reached its peak at 5:45 p.m. ET

People in the Central Time zone got the best view, NASA says

NASA: Protect your eyes with special filters or indirect methods when viewing any eclipse

Did you catch the eclipse? Share your best photos with CNN iReport

CNN  — 

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the CNN iReport community, it’s that you all love to capture celestial events.

Thursday’s partial solar eclipse was no exception.

The eclipse reached its height at 5:45 p.m. ET, NASA said, meaning the eastern half of the country should have gotten a view before the backdrop of golden twilight hues. People living in the Central Time Zone had the best view.

As the moon clipped the sun, it appeared like a fingernail. Or, according to iReporter and independent journalist Georgianne Nienaber, like an iconic arcade game character. “The moon took a little chunk out of the sun, like Pac-Man,” she said. Neinaber spent her evening in Sanibel Island, Florida, getting the perfect shot of the eclipse.

Of course, staring at the sun is never a good idea, even during an eclipse.

“Don’t stare,” NASA urged. “Even at maximum eclipse, a sliver of sun peeking out from behind the Moon can still cause pain and eye damage. Direct viewing should only be attempted with the aid of a safe solar filter.”

Greg Hogan of Kathleen, Georgia, attached his camera to a telescope with a solar filter in order to photograph the show. Hogan, who usually photographs the moon, started experimenting with sun photography this week.

The effort was worth it, he said. “It was epic!”

The above photos were snapped by iReporters across the country, all with the aid of filters or other creative methods of viewing the eclipse indirectly. Check out the gallery and share your own eclipse photos here.