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This Saturday, using the sun’s light, the moon will cast a shadow onto the Earth, creating a celestial view in the sky: a partial solar eclipse.
Most Americans will have the opportunity to see the eclipse in some point, though the view across the country will look much different, and we in the Boston area and New England won’t have the best view.
The eclipse will be maximized across a 130-mile-wide swath of the country stretching from Oregon to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. In that swath, 90% of the sun obscured.
In New England, roughly 10-20% of the sun will be covered. You’ll be able to notice the sun partially covered between 12:30 p.m. until around 2:30 p.m.
NBC10 Boston
During an eclipse, it’s important that you DO NOT look directly at the sun with the naked eye. Special eclipse glasses have a mylar film that allows you to fully view the phenomenon.
While earlier this week, rain was threatening to block out the sky, the trends have changed, and what appeared to be a partial washout is now looking drier. Still, clouds could obscure the eclipse for stretches.
The entire eclipse – from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it’s back to normal – will last roughly two-and-a-half hours at any given spot. The famous ring of fire portion of the eclipse lasts from three to five minutes, depending on the location — but that will be limited to parts of the Pacific Northwest and Four Corners regions.
Around the path of annularity, where the eclipse is at its maximum — that 90% — viewers will see the ring of fire around the moon as the skies dim. Because the moon shields the sun, there will be a noticeable drop in temperature, too. This can also be experienced with cloud coverage, but it’s just not as extreme.
On Oct. 14, an annular eclipse will be visible to millions of people in the Western Hemisphere.
As exciting as this eclipse is, in 2024, a much more robust total solar eclipse will cross North America. This happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.
NBC10 Boston
NBC10 Boston
And there’s good news for local eclipse buffs: Burlington, Vermont, and other areas of New England are in the path of totality in 2024.
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