Solar eclipses aren’t that rare: There are usually about two per year (sometimes more) and a total eclipse about every 18 months. But not everyone is in an eclipse’s path every time, and it is rarer to be in the umbra (100% coverage). That’s what makes the total solar eclipse Monday so special: For the first time in seven years, the eclipse will be visible in the majority of the lower 48 states (for almost four minutes!) — and that won’t happen again until 2045. This will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime event for some of us.
West Virginia isn’t in the path of totality, but we’re pretty darn close. We’re in the penumbra (lighter shadown, or partial eclipse), but very close to the umbra, so we’ll experience an almost total eclipse. Morgantown is expected to see 94.6% coverage and Kingwood will get 93.7%. The umbra will stretch northeast from Kerrville, Texas, to Niagara Falls, to Houlton, Maine. If you are determined to see 100% coverage, Cleveland, Akron and Dayton, Ohio, will all see totality.
The eclipse starts in our area right at 2 p.m. when the edge of the moon first starts to overlap with the solar disk. (It starts slightly earlier for our neighbors in Ohio.) We should experience our max coverage (again, only 94%) at 3:16 p.m. and it will be over by 4:30 p.m.
It’s extremely important to use proper safety measures while viewing the eclipse. Staring directly at the sun (even during a total eclipse) can cause possibly irreversible damage to your eyes. You can buy special eclipse glasses: They look like old-fashioned movie theater 3D glasses but the lenses are nearly opaque black instead of transparent red and blue. If they are decent quality, you shouldn’t be able to see anything when just looking around you, but you should be able to make out light if looking directly at a bright light source. Look for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2 code on the inside. These are available to order online, but if you’re just now thinking about getting them, you may be better to check local big box or home improvement stores.
If you can’t get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses to look at the phenomena directly, there are a few ways to experience it indirectly. The cheapest and easiest way is to make a pinhole projector. Any object that has small holes in it will work. Think, a colander, a spoon with holes or an index card with a hole cut into the center. Stand with your back to the sun and let the light shine through the hole onto a flat surface, like pavement or a piece of paper. You can see the progress of the eclipse based on the shadow that’s being cast through the hole onto the ground; as the eclipse continues, the circle of light should turn into a crescent that gets smaller and smaller. You can do something similar with a telescope or binoculars: Point the telescope/binoculars at the sun, put a shade collar around (but not over top of) the lens and let it project the light and shadows down onto a flat surface.
Of course, what we see — if we get to see anything — depends on the weather. Unfortunately, our area is expected to have cloud coverage. The good news, however, is that multiple organizations and channels will be broadcasting the eclipse live for any of us who’ve had our fun spoiled by Mother Nature. NASA will host an online livestream starting at 1 p.m. Other online livestreams include Time and Date, Exploratorium and the National Science Foundation, though times vary. For those who prefer cable, ABC, CBS and NBC will all have eclipse broadcasts starting at 2 p.m.
Make sure to take some time to enjoy this rare celestial spectacle — just remember to do so safely.
