ITHACA, N.Y. — For the first time in a century, New Yorkers will be able to view a total solar eclipse April 8, shortly after 3 p.m. While Ithaca residents have to venture a bit beyond their usual bubble to experience the phenomenon in its full glory, they don’t need to go far.
Nearly half of Upstate lies within the path of totality — the geographic area where spectators can see the moon completely covering the sun’s rays during daylight.
The path of totality is estimated to be about 124 miles wide, passing over Central and Western New York, parts of the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks and Lake Ontario.
Many of the Upstate cities in the path of totality are located within a two-hour drive from Ithaca. The map below marks those cities. Hover above each location to see the scheduled time for the total eclipse to be visible in each place and for how long it’ll last.
While Tompkins County falls outside this zone of totality, the safety guidance to protect a person’s eyes during the course of the eclipse remains the same.
The partial eclipse, when the sun won’t be completely covered by the moon but still visible in the county, will still permanently damage a person’s eyes if viewed directly.
The Tompkins County Whole Health released a health alert April 3 to remind residents to protect their eyes, even if they aren’t viewing the total eclipse.
Only certified eclipse glasses will prevent severe eye damage for spectators looking to avoid developing “eclipse blindness,” a term doctors coined to describe the retinal damage looking directly at a partial eclipse. Sunglasses won’t do the job.
While glasses are available for free at all Tompkins County libraries while supplies last, the county outlined indirect viewing techniques for those without glasses in the alert.
“With the sun behind you, pass sunlight through a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and project a solar image onto a nearby surface (for example, another card, wall or the ground),” according to the alert. “Or even easier, grab a colander from the kitchen (not the mesh kind, the one with holes in plastic or metal), to project the solar image onto a nearby surface.”
If a person wears glasses, the county suggested that person wear the eclipse glasses on top of regular glasses, as wearing them under is likely to result in severe eye damage.
The eclipse is expected to begin at approximately 2:00 p.m. and end by 4:30 p.m., with the full total eclipse occurring in the county between 3:15-3:30 p.m., according to the alert.
The next total eclipse to be seen from the contiguous U.S. will be on August 23, 2044, according to NASA.
Correction: A previous version of this article included the city of Owego, N.Y. as a point on the map in the path of totality. The city of Oswego, N.Y. is in the path of totality.
If you appreciate our coverage, please consider becoming a monthly donor to show your commitment to reliable local journalism.