Monday will mark the first solar eclipse to be visible over the United States since 2017.
While eastern Pennsylvania is not in the path of totality, residents will be able to see roughly 92% coverage during the eclipse that afternoon.
The event begins around 2:08 p.m. across the region, and the moon will cover about 92% of the sun around 3:23 p.m., according to NASA.
Gary Becker, the former planetarium director at Allentown School District in the Lehigh Valley who now teaches astronomy at Moravian University, estimated that it would last about 10 minutes.
Other than viewing the event during the brief total phase, which will not be visible here, it is not safe to view the eclipse without some sort of protection. Those who want to view it should be prepared and should wear special eclipse glasses or use other safe methods of viewing.
“This is a dangerous eclipse all the way through,” Becker said.
How to view the eclipse
Special glasses may be purchased to look at the eclipse. Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than regular sunglasses, according to NASA. It is not safe to look at the eclipse with sunglasses.
Experts also urge people to not look at the sun through a lens, telescope, binoculars or any other device while wearing eclipse glasses because the concentrated rays will burn the filter and cause eye injury, according to NASA.
Those who want to look at the eclipse may also do so through indirect methods, such as optical or pinhole projection. Those methods may be found at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection.
The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office has warned residents that scammers have been selling fake glasses ahead of the eclipse. Viewing glasses have special filters that fake ones do not have. Authorities said the eclipse glasses should have the safety standard certification number ISO 12312-2 on the frame. Additional information may be found at eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety.
Any place where the sun is visible will be a good spot for viewing the eclipse, Becker said.
Some school districts across the region will be dismissing early ahead of the eclipse, while others are holding normal, full days.
What to expect in eastern Pennsylvania
The last visible solar eclipse in the region was in 2017 when 74% of coverage was visible in the area.
On Monday, colors outside should be a little warmer than usual, according to Becker. There will likely be warmer hues and sharper shadows, he added. It will have a “wonky look,” he said.
Weather should not be a factor. After several days of rain this week, Monday is expected to be clear. The National Weather Service said it should be sunny with a high of 60 during the eclipse.
This solar eclipse will have the most coverage visible in our area was nearly 100 years. Becker said there was 98% coverage during a solar eclipse in 1925.
The next total solar eclipse that will be viewable from the contiguous United States will be in 2044, according to NASA.
If you want a chance to experience a total eclipse from our region, though, you’re going to have to wait a lot longer. That won’t happen until May 1, 2079, when much of southeastern Pennsylvania will experience a total eclipse just after sunrise that day.
During a total eclipse, the sky becomes dark, like it is dawn, and the sun’s outer atmosphere will be viewable to those in the path of totality, NASA said.
In the United States, the path of totality for Monday’s eclipse goes from parts of Texas through Maine. The path of totality will largely avoid Pennsylvania outside the northwestern part of the state.
Parts of Pennsylvania in the path of totality
Crawford, Erie, Mercer and Warren counties will see the total eclipse about 3:20 p.m., according to NASA.
Becker, who has seen total eclipses before, said it’s a great experience when watching it with enthusiast groups. He compared the point of eclipse to when the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, and the cheers from fans that followed that.
“It’s like someone has just done something miraculous like that,” he said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said various state entities are prepared for the eclipse and the travel it may cause Monday.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will be keeping traffic lanes open heading to and from Erie on Interstate 79, according to a news release from Shapiro’s office. State police will also be removing disabled vehicles from interstates in the region. Troopers will be posted at each exit to keep traffic moving.
Those gathered at rest stops to view the eclipse will be asked to go elsewhere.
PennDOT launched a webpage, 511pa.com/eclipse24/, to help guests find routes to their destinations during the event.
