August 18 & 21: Solar Eclipse Events at Newhall Library

The Neuseway Nature Center will have a solar eclipse event from 11 a.m.to 2 p.m. From Portland, Oregon to the SC coast, people all along the path of the eclipse will be standing out on their front lawns with their faces turned upwards, experiencing this rare astronomical phenomenon together.

Carfagno will be watching from Nashville, one of The Weather Channel’s five US viewing locations, where the eclipse will begin around 11 a.m. ET, and total darkness will take over about 90 minutes later.

In a total solar eclipse, the moon moves between the Earth and the sun. About 85% of the sun will be covered by the moon at it’s maximum. West Texas will have about 75 percent totality, so the sun will be mostly blocked but some will remain visible.

If you’ve downloaded one of the eclipse apps, give it a run-through this weekend so you’ll know what features it includes. “Doing so can cause permanent damage to your eyes, including possible blindness”.

The cloud cover could get thicker as you head southward in the state, with areas in southeast Alabama forecast to have more clouds than sun.

Unfortunately, Tucson is out of the path of totality but will enjoy a good partial eclipse.

“Once retina tissue is destroyed, like brain tissue, it can not regenerate, resulting in permanent central vision loss”, reads the Journal of the American Medical Association eclipse viewing guidelines. Even a tiny sliver of our star is bright enough to hurt you. To view it safely, you’ll need special glasses, or if you’re feeling crafty, our meteorologist Pierce Legeion has instructions on how to make a safe solar viewer of your own.

Where can I get solar eclipse glasses? Approved viewing devices can be purchased from a number of reputable sources. A total solar eclipse is easily the most spectacular sight in nature when the sky suddenly darkens and the most attractive object in the sky – the Sun’s shimmering corona – becomes visible for two minutes or so. If you see any scratches or damage, do not use them.

Read and follow the directions that come with your equipment.

Health officials recommend a special solar filter – either eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer – to see the eclipse.

When viewed through eclipse glasses, the sun should appear similar to a full moon. “For that major amount of sun, you can’t even look at the sliver of the sun for seconds without damaging your retina”.

You can create a DIY eclipse “pinhole” viewer at home, with supplies you probably already have. With the other half of the pizza box, tape a sheet of paper to the bottom half of the box, this will be the screen where you will project the different phases of the total solar eclipse.

Total eclipses will occur over parts of North America again in April of 2024 and August of 2026, though neither of those pass across the entire US like the eclipse will on Monday.

Other countries will be seeing only a partial eclipse.

To make sure you don’t miss that moment, plan to be outside about 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after that time. Outside of the path of totality, always use solar filters.