View the Solar Eclipse with UMass Astronomy

Source: UMass College of Natural Sciences

Please join UMass Amherst Astronomy on April 8, to observe the solar eclipse which will reach 94.6% totality on campus. The eclipse will begin at approximately 2:15 p.m. and last until approximately 4:40 p.m. The peak of the eclipse in Amherst will be at 3:28 p.m. UMass astronomers will be on hand to discuss the science behind the eclipse, and UMass staff will hand out protective solar shades. 

Total solar eclipses are among nature’s rarest spectacles. Any single spot on Earth will see a full eclipse only once every 360 years, on average. From Amherst, almost 95% of the sun will go dark on April 8, and this is the last time that a total solar eclipse will be visible from anywhere in North America until 2044. The next total solar eclipse visible from Amherst won’t occur until 2079. 

The College of Natural Sciences and the Astronomy department will distribute solar shades at two locations on campus while supplies last—UMass Amherst Sunwheel and Metawampe Lawn.  UMass astronomers will speak about the phenomenon at both campus viewing locations. 

Note: Solar eclipse shades are required to safely observe the eclipse. It is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.

See this video on eclipse viewing safety: why wear shades.

If you aren’t able to join us on campus for this viewing of the eclipse, you can visit the NASA website to see the path of the solar eclipse and explore other resources and view a livestream of the eclipse hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

If you do not have access to solar eclipse shades, a pinhole camera will also allow safe observation of the solar eclipse. Learn how to make a simple pinhole camera at home with common supplies.

View a New York Times map of the solar eclipse path will all kinds of supplemental information here.