Monday's total solar eclipse will draw thousands of people to the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, where the sky will go dark for almost four minutes. The rest of the state will see a partial solar eclipse, in which the moon will not completely cover the sun.
Dr. Violet Mager, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, explains what those of us in Northeast Pennsylvania can expect for the 2024 solar eclipse.
“Near Wilkes-Barre, it’ll be 94% of the sun covered by the moon. So you’ll be able to see just a thin sliver of the sun,” she said. “It will get pretty dark around that time period even if it ends up being cloudy.”
NASA’s Eclipse Explorer indicates that the eclipse will begin just after 2 p.m. in northeast Pa. and reach 94.4% coverage around 3:23 p.m. with full sun returning by 5 p.m.
The National Weather Service (NWS) will provide daily forecast updates at 3 p.m. until the day of the eclipse. As of Tuesday, forecasters predict high pressure and little cloud coverage.
“For total cloud cover, we’re looking at maybe ten, up to 20 percent coverage,” said NWS meteorologist Kaitlyn Lardeo.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a watch party for the public on Monday, April 8, with learning activities and will sell the children’s book, “The Sky is the Limit" for $5.
The book was created by Dr. Mager and the campus’s strategic communications department and illustrated by a student.
Dr. Mager said they have 2,000 pairs of eclipse glasses at the ready.
“During that 2017 eclipse, we had about a thousand people come to the campus and we’re expecting potentially more,” she said.
The Friedman Observatory’s telescope will not be used to view the eclipse because it is unsafe, but Dr. Mager says they have a small solar telescope that will be safe to use.
Looking at the sun can instantly cause severe eye injury, according to NASA. If you don’t have eclipse glasses, there are other ways to indirectly view what’s happening in the sky. A pinhole projector can be created by poking a hole in an index card and looking at the shadow of the eclipse's image on the ground. Household objects like a colander, a straw hat or even a cracker can create the same effect.
It is not safe to look at the eclipse through a telescope, camera lens or binoculars even with the solar eclipse glasses on, NASA says.
Several events around the region will allow the public to experience the rare sight together. The United States will not see a total solar eclipse for more than 20 years, and the Northeast won't see one until 2079, according to data from NASA.
Carbon County
Hug in Mug Café will provide treats and beverages for onlookers sitting outside at The Hofford Mill in Weissport. The fee is $5 and eclipse glasses will be provided when you register.
Lackawanna County
The Scranton Public Library will host a watch party. The NASA livestream will be shown starting at 2 p.m. in the Henkelman Room on the 2nd floor. Solar eclipse glasses will be provided, but space is limited.
A watch party at Taylor Community Library will start at 1:45 p.m., and Valley Community Library in Peckville will host Solar Chalk Art following the eclipse at 5 p.m.
The Cupillari Observatory at Keystone College will be sure to draw a crowd. The observatory has telescopes with solar filters for safe viewing and solar eclipse glasses will be available. If the weather is poor, organizers will livestream the eclipse inside the classroom.
Luzerne County
The Marian Sutherland Kirby Library in Mountain Top will host a watch party starting at 3 p.m. - registration is not required, but it is recommended that you bring a chair or blanket. Organizers will have a few pairs of eclipse glasses.
A gathering at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley will have crafts, light refreshments, and more. The event starts at 2pm rain or shine at the church in Wyoming, Luzerne County.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a watch party from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Nesbitt Academic Commons. There will be children’s crafts, an eclipse-themed exhibit, and they will sell copies of the children’s book they created while supplies last.
Schuylkill County
The Ringtown Area Library will have a watch party at its new StoryWalk. Pages of a children’s book are laminated and placed in signs along a half-mile trail that surrounds the Union Township building. The signs currently display the book “Eclipse,” a story of a father and son experiencing an eclipse together.
Tayna Savitsky is Director of the Ringtown Area Library.
“It’s a wide open area, people can come, we invited them to bring a chair and snacks,” she said. “While you’re sitting there waiting for it to get towards the peak, they can take a walk around.”
