Solar Eclipse Today!

April 08, 2024 1:35 PM - 3:45 PM

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Live Breaking News. This afternoon, there will be a Solar Eclipse! There is good news for all viewers: this afternoon there will be a solar eclipse, which you can watch using special glasses. This eclipse will last about three hours and eleven minutes in total.

Today is the last solar eclipse until 2045. Florida will see a partial eclipse this afternoon with the most coverage at 2:55 p.m. EDT for about four and a half minutes. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. The moon will block part of the sun and create a temporary darkening of the sky. Looking directly at the sun without eye protection can cause serious eye damage or blindness, even when an eclipse is occurring.

If you plan on viewing, please do so safely and wear protective eyewear, which are not regular sunglasses.
Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker than sunglasses.
Make sure if you are viewing the eclipse to wear protective eyewear complying with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.

Follow These Important Safety Tips From the
U.S. National Science Foundation - Solar Eclipse 2024:

Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun.
Always inspect your solar glasses or filter before use. Discard if scratched, punctured, torn or otherwise damaged. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with your eye protection.
Before looking at the eclipse, cover your eyes with eclipse glasses or a solar viewer. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your eye protection — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
Do not look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer in front of your eyes — the concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and cause serious injury.
Always supervise children using solar filters or eclipse glasses. For more information on eclipse and eye safety, visit eclipse.aas.org/safety