On Monday, April 8 starting just after 3 p.m., a total solar eclipse will pass through about one third of New York state, from the southwest corner near the Pennsylvania border through to the northeast corner up by Vermont. While the total solar eclipse travels over New York, the entire state will be able to see at least 88% of a partial eclipse: Albany is 96%, Catskills between 90-95%, New York City 89%, and Montauk 88%.
Fun facts: The last total solar eclipse in New York was in 1925 and the next ones are expected in 2079 and 2144.
The eclipse will begin shortly after 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Full totality, or as close to it will begin about 3:20 p.m., and locations in the path of totality could experience total darkness for up to 4 minutes. With the entirety of the eclipse wrapping up about 4:40 p.m. Check out the NASA Map of percentage of the eclipse.
To view the eclipse safely, remember the following tips:
• Remember to protect your eyes with specialized solar viewing glasses or pinhole projectors or even a colander.
• Check traffic before heading out for this epic event. Consider using 511NY for current travel conditions, but also remember that with lots of people comes slow and limited cell signal so you may want to have an atlas or maps in the vehicle.
• Speaking of limited cell signal, if you can’t get a call out, remember texts with no emoji or images will generally get out when a lot of people are using cell signals.
• Prepare for the weather: April can bring sun, ice, snow, rain, and mud.
Remember New York statewide annual burn ban is in effect from March 16 through May 14. Do not park on dry (yellow/brown) grass to avoid sparking a wildfire.
• If camping, know the regulations, bring the proper gear, and watch out for ticks.
For more safety tips, visit I Love New York’s Eclipse at www.iloveny.com/events/eclipse-2024/safety
