How to watch Monday’s solar eclipse in Raleigh, whether solo or at a sky-watching party
If you’ve been waiting to hear Monday’s weather forecast before investing in safety glasses to view the solar eclipse, it’s time to go ahead and shop for some of those stylish peepers.
According to the National Weather Service, the outlook for Monday is mostly sunny in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, meaning it will be noticeable when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun in the afternoon.
What will the eclipse look like here?
Technically, the event is a total solar eclipse, meaning that in the path of totality — locations in the shadow, lined up with where the moon is directly in front of the sun — at peak magnitude the moon will look like a black disc in the sky with a faint light around its periphery.
North Carolina is not within the path of totality so in the Raleigh area, the moon will never completely cover the sun. At peak magnitude, 82% of the sun will be covered by the moon, leaving a narrow crescent-shaped sliver exposed and making it look almost like dusk or dawn.
What time will the solar eclipse happen?
In Raleigh, the moon will begin to move across the sun almost imperceptibly around 1:58 p.m. Monday. It will move out of the sun’s path around 4:30 p.m.
Peak magnitude of the eclipse in any given area is halfway through the event, meaning in our area, if you can only slip out of work for a few minutes, take that coffee break from around 3:07 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. In particular, don’t answer any text messages between 3:14 and 3:15 p.m., when the sun will look the most like a cookie being gobbled up.
Can you still get eclipse glasses?
Safety first. If you plan to watch the eclipse, either follow NASA’s instructions on how to build a pinhole camera this weekend or get your hands on a pair of certified-safe eclipse-viewing glasses.
Here are some places to find them, according to the American Astronomical Society:
▪ Amazon
▪ Walmart
▪ Cracker Barrel
▪ Kroger
▪ Wegmans
▪ Staples
▪ Lowe’s Home Improvement
What’s the best way to watch the eclipse?
You can view a solar eclipse alone of course, but it’s the kind of rare natural wonder people tend to like to experience with others and remember later.
A few viewing parties have been arranged.
▪ Wake County Public Libraries are holding viewing parties, though they request advance registration and several were full with wait-lists as of Thursday. The Wake Forest Community Library at 400 Holding Avenue still had spaces.
▪ The Town of Garner will hold a free viewing party from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday in White Deer Park, 2400 Aversboro Road. No registration is necessary.
▪ Morehead Planetarium and Science Center will hold a viewing party Monday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Activities the building at 250 E. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill will be free activities connected to the eclipse and astronomy. Admission to the building will require a paid ticket and will include a live stream of the eclipse from within the path of totality, meteorite activities, and special eclipse-themed screenings of the show “Carolina Skies” in the planetarium theater. The museum store will sell eclipse glasses while supplies last.
This story was originally published April 5, 2024 at 10:24 AM with the headline "How to watch Monday’s solar eclipse in Raleigh, whether solo or at a sky-watching party."
