Thousands of people in the Washington, D.C., area are expected to step outside Monday for a glimpse of a last-in-a-generation solar eclipse.
The total solar eclipse moving across the United States will be the last one visible over the continental U.S. for another 20 years. While D.C., Maryland and Virginia aren’t in the path of totality, it will still be worth putting on your eclipse glasses as the moon blocks out up to 90% of the sun.
During the eclipse, the moon will cast its shadow on parts of North America as it comes between Earth and the sun, said Gina DiBraccio, the deputy director of heliophysics at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
“If you have the opportunity to view this, whether it’s the total eclipse or a partial eclipse in the D.C. area, you should absolutely do it because it’s just a special kind of lifetime event,” DiBraccio said.
As the paths of the sun and moon partially align around D.C., the sky will grow darker, winds may change, and temperatures are expected to slightly drop. Monday is forecasted to be dry with highs in the 60s and 40-50% cloud cover, according to Storm Team4.
Crowds gathering to watch the eclipse from the National Mall or NASA Goddard Visitor Center on Monday would partake in a human tradition that predates written history — although records of eclipses stretch back thousands of years.
According to a NASA article, petroglyphs found in County Meath, Ireland, may be our earliest records of an eclipse; they date back to 3340 B.C.E. Scribes in Anyang, China, wrote on shells and bones that “the sun has been eaten” around 1200 B.C.E. Much later, the 1918 eclipse helped confirm Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, rocketing the physicist to fame, according to the National Park Service.
Read below to learn when the solar eclipse is and where to see it around D.C.
What time is the eclipse in D.C., Maryland and Virginia?
The solar eclipse is on Monday, April 8. You’ll be able to see it in the D.C. area from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Maximum eclipse is expected about 3:20 p.m., but the exact timing depends on your location.
The moon will begin to move in front of the sun about 2 p.m., slowly covering more of the sun until about 3:20 p.m. It will then move off the sun until about 4:30 p.m., according to the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC).
What’s the path of the eclipse?
Parts of Mexico will see the eclipse first. The path of totality in the U.S. stretches across 13 states from Texas to Maine.
Some people are expected to witness the eclipse from special flights. Businesses around the country are planning to offer special deals and creative souvenirs, such as eclipse-themed beer.
Is the DC area in the path of totality?
No, the D.C. area will not see a total solar eclipse. The moon will cover about 90% of the sun’s width in the D.C. area during the solar eclipse, according to NOVAC.
In Greenbelt, Maryland, the moon will block about 86% of the sun’s light, NASA’s Goddard Visitor Center said. It will obscure 87% of the sun at its maximum in College Park, according to the University of Maryland’s Department of Astronomy.
In Rosslyn, Virginia, the moon will block about 75% of the sun, the Rosslyn BID said.
Visibility of the eclipse depends on the weather; a cloudy day would obscure the view.
What to know about eclipse glasses
Take it from former president Donald Trump! Be sure to protect your eyes from the sun during the phases of a solar eclipse.
For safe viewing, NASA recommends the use of eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. It’s important to note that regular sunglasses are not dark enough to safely filter the bright light.
Eclipses can be briefly viewed…
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