This article was written in collaboration with City Cast Madison executive producer Molly Stentz
On Monday, April 8, a wide swath of North America will plunge into darkness for a few minutes in mid-afternoon. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking out our precious sunlight for a few rare minutes. The next full solar eclipse won’t occur until 2044, in another 20 years.
More than 30 million people live in the “path of totality,” meaning they’ve got a front-row seat to the astronomical event. D.C. is sadly not in the path, but we will see a partial eclipse at 3:20 p.m., when the sun will be 88% covered by the moon.
What To Expect
If the sky is clear, viewers will be able to see a “diamond ring” effect when the moon passes over the sun. You may also feel a drop in temperature, a shift in the wind, and a quieting of wildlife. The farther away you are from the path of totality, the less dramatic this effect will be.
Interestingly, colors with shorter wavelengths (green, blue) will appear brighter during the eclipse than those with long wavelengths (red, orange). So wear something green or blue to take advantage of this “Purkinje effect”!
How To Watch
Do not stare at the sun with your bare eyes! There, we said it. Regular sunglasses are not strong enough, so you’ll want to snag a pair of eclipse glasses.
You can pick up a free pair at any D.C, Public Library location until April 8. The Air and Space Museum and the Udvar-Hazy Center are also giving away free glasses before the big event. Or you can buy a pair at Staples, Walmart, Wegmans, or REI.
Path of totality map for the April 8 total eclipse. (PeterHermesFurian/Getty Images)
Where To Watch
In Your Own Backyard: If you are watching the eclipse from your own backyard, the National Air & Space Museum has many suggestions for how to make the most of it, from making solar eclipse art to multisensory observation activity guides.
Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall: This giant celebration will have many activity stations to view the sun in a variety of safe telescopes, as well as vendors and activities for kids.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: This space center in Maryland is the real deal. Activities will include viewings of the sun, an art project, a Sunspotter demonstration, and presentations by solar scientists.
Gateway Park: Head to this park in Rosslyn for live music, lawn games, and eclipse viewing stations. They are also giving away free viewing glasses!
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: The museum will provide safe solar telescopes and projection viewers to help you watch the moon slowly block most of the sun.
How To Document
Photographing the sun during the total phase of an eclipse is complicated and takes a lot of expensive equipment. However, a partial eclipse shows up nicely on any smartphone or small camera if you do it through a pair of eclipse glasses or a pinhole projection. It is also cool to photograph any eclipse projections that might be happening as a result of nearby shadows!
