Rockland To Host Eclipse Viewing Event

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Division of Environmental Resources Coordinator Kevin McGuinness invite the public to attend a Solar Eclipse Viewing event at Haverstraw Bay Park.

In the United States, the path of totality the afternoon of April 8 extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth. In Rockland County, the moon will cover about 92.1 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

In less than 15 minutes, the moon will pass between the earth and sun, turning day into night for 1½ minutes to 3½ minutes. The roughly 100-mile wide path of totality will enter the southwestern part of the state at just after 3:15 p.m., and will depart northern New York just before 3:30 p.m.

Cities and towns within the path of totality include Jamestown, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown, Old Forge, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh. The entire event will last for up to 2½ hours, marking the time the sun is first obstructed to the last moments when the moon’s shadow is cast. There's an entire lineup of events hosted at state parks along the path of totality; visit the state's Events Calendar.

For other areas of the state outside the path, there will still be quite a celestial spectacle. The percent coverage in the Hudson Valley will range from 90 percent in the south to about 94 percent in the north.

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will not be until August 2044.

Public Safety During the Eclipse

Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun's bright face, it is unsafe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing. According to NASA, 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. The partial phases of the solar eclipse can only be safely observed directly with specialized solar viewing glasses — eclipse glasses — or a handheld solar viewer. Regular sunglasses, polarized or otherwise, are not a safe replacement for solar eclipse glasses.
Hochul strongly encourages eclipse enthusiasts to partake in this once-in-a-generation event safely by:

• Protecting your eyes with specialized solar viewing glasses
• Checking traffic before heading out for this event as higher volumes of visitors are anticipated
• Preparing for the weather
• Bringing the proper gear and watching out for ticks if camping

For more information about the 2024 Total Eclipse in New York State, visit I Love NY's eclipse page.