On Saturday, October 14, Rochester will experience a small preview of the upcoming April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse with a partial solar eclipse. At maximum, the moon will cover 25% of the sun’s disk. The partial eclipse will begin at noon and end at 2:27 p.m., with maximum partial eclipse reached at 1:13 p.m.
Observing a solar eclipse requires proper eye protection, such as eclipse glasses or solar filters, to avoid eye damage. Solar viewing/Eclipse glasses are on sale now for $2.50 each at the RMSC Gift Shop, the box office at the Strasenburgh Planetarium, and at the Cumming Nature Center. For more viewing safety tips, go to https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety.
The RMSC will be hosting a partial eclipse viewing party on October 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join RMSC staff members and knowledgeable volunteers from the Astronomy Section, Rochester Academy of Science for eye-safe viewing and learning, where telescopes with solar filters and other methods to observe the eclipse will be available to try. Learn more at https://rmsc.org/events/partial-eclipse/.
Showings of “Eclipse 2024!” at the Strasenburgh Planetarium will be held, with tickets for showtimes now available for purchase.
“The partial eclipse is the perfect opportunity to get Rochester practicing safe eclipse viewing methods and thinking ahead about how they will experience the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse,” said Daniel Schneiderman, Eclipse Partnerships Coordinator at the RMSC. “This will also be a perfect opportunity to purchase eclipse glasses before the big day in April.”
Rochester sits directly in the path of totality of the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse and will experience 3 minutes and 38 seconds of complete totality when 100% of the sun’s disk will be covered by the new moon. The RMSC will be celebrating next year’s total solar eclipse with a multi-day festival, ROC The Eclipse, filled with hands-on activities, speakers, music, food, and more. Several thousand guests are expected each day of the festival.
For more information about the 2024 eclipse, and to learn how to get involved, go to rochestereclipse2024.org or follow the official Rochester Solar Eclipse pages on all social media platforms (@rocsolareclipse).
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