By Julia Train
Get your eclipse viewing glasses out! “The Great North American Eclipse,” as it has been dubbed by a variety of media outlets, will be visible to a large swath of the country on Monday, April 8, and won’t happen again for another 20 years in August of 2044.
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun.
Compared to 2017’s eclipse, the path of totality is almost 60 percent wider and the duration of the eclipse is about 60 percent longer, according to astrophysicist Fred Espenak, with some locations on the path experiencing up to four and a half minutes of complete darkness. New Jersey residents will experience a partial (90 percent) solar eclipse as we are not in the path of totality.
After crossing Mexico, the eclipse will enter the United States through Texas. Its path of totality will cross the country from 2:09 p.m. to 4:35 p.m., EDT, and will be at its peak at 3:23 p.m. going through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
During the time our area will experience the eclipse, the sky will darken for several minutes and the air will get cooler.
Now, how should you go about viewing the astronomical phenomenon? It’s simple. Assuming the weather is cooperating, go outside to an area where the sky won’t be obstructed. If you want to make absolutely sure your view is perfect, try driving north to an elevated area.
It’s essential to wear your eclipse glasses to prevent cornea damage. You can find them online for as little as $2 and as much as $200. You can also make your own eclipse viewer. The Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University is also giving away viewing glasses while supplies last. Look them up to learn more.
USA Today has assembled a variety of resources to get the most out of your eclipse experience including an interactive map showing eclipse times and a virtual simulation by zip code. See https://shorturl.at/btzCY.
Julia is a student at Rider University, majoring in multiplatform journalism with a minor in social media strategies. At school, she writes and is news editor for The Rider News and is the News Director for the radio station, producing news updates. She’ll be graduating in the spring. Connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
