Kids, Teens and Adults will want to join us for this special program describing what will happen, how to prepare, and how you can safely take part. Joe Alteri, Outreach Coordinator of the Astronomy Section of the Rochester Academy of Science will answer your questions and give you directions on how to get ready for April 8th!

On Monday, April 8, 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse, and Rochester, NY is in the path of totality. In a solar eclipse, the moon gets between the Sun and Earth. In a total solar eclipse, people who are in the path of totality see the Sun’s bright disk totally covered by the Moon for a short time. The Moon will begin to cover the Sun at 2:07 pm. Using a safe solar viewing method, we will see more and more of the Sun covered by the Moon over the next 73 minutes. This time is called a partial phase because the Sun is partially covered by the Moon. Totality begins at 3:20 pm and lasts 3 minutes 38 seconds (plus or minus a few seconds, depending on your exact location). After totality, the Moon gradually uncovers the Sun in a second partial phase. The eclipse ends for Rochester viewers at 4:33 pm.

A total eclipse is one of the rarest and most spectacular events in nature. During the partial phases just before and after totality, the landscape around you is transformed by eerie dim light and strangely sharp shadows. During totality, the sky becomes as dark as deep twilight, bright stars and planets appear, and the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona, shines around the black disk of the Moon’s silhouette. Changes in temperature, winds, and animal behavior occur during the time around totality. The experience is emotionally powerful and unforgettable.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Mendon Public Library.