Partial Eclipse Nears, but Don’t Look Directly

COURT HOUSE – Aug. 21 is a red-letter day for eclipse darkness.
It will last several hours as this phenomenon traverses the United States during what should be bright summer sunshine. 
While the epicenter of the total solar eclipse is forecast to be somewhere in the vicinity of a small rural town in Kentucky, Hopkinsville, Cape May County should see over 70 percent obscuration of the sun if skies are clear that day.
Astronomers over millennia have studied celestial orbits to predict with accuracy where and when eclipses will take place. Sky gazers are eagerly awaiting this rare occurrence.
Solar eclipses happen when the orbit of the moon aligns perfectly in front of the sun to obscure its light, thus covering the earth in certain areas in complete darkness for several minutes.
The Aug. 21 eclipse will travel several hours as it moves from Oregon to South Carolina traversing a path of “total” eclipse compared to the “partial” eclipse that will be experienced in New Jersey.
Throughout history, people have been fascinated, terrorized, and/or astonished by eclipses which sometimes were considered as harbingers of approaching disaster or divine unhappiness.
The South Jersey Astronomy Club conducted a presentation on the upcoming eclipse at the Court House main branch of the Cape May County Library Aug. 5.
“The most important safety advice we can give is never, never look at the sun for any eclipse or any other reason,” said Nelson Biggs, club secretary.
While the eclipse is not total in the Garden State, Biggs strongly cautions everyone to heed this advice and stay safe. 
“You cannot look directly at the sun without very strong protective eyewear. Not just sunglasses, you must wear lenses that were designed specifically to filter out enough of the light and UV rays so that it doesn’t burn a hole through your retinas which will cause severe sight loss and even blindness,” he cautioned.
The “C1” beginning of the partial eclipse in the state begins at around 1:22 p.m. and then the “Mid” phase begins at around 2:44 p.m. The “C4” phase, when the partial eclipse ends, is at 4:01 p.m. for a total event time of two hours, 39 minutes.
The “coverage” of the eclipse that will be visible here is 73 percent and thus termed “partial.”
According to the eclipse2017.org website, many sky gazers term a partial eclipse as “boring” and recommend heading to the U.S. southern states along the Atlantic to see totality.
Nevertheless, even though there will be several eclipses that pass over the U.S. this century, Aug. 21 will be the first occasion for a total eclipse of the 21st century and has been long awaited.
The next total eclipse will arrive in 2024, but since that one will also be visible from Mexico and Canada, and in fact, Mexico will be a better place to watch that one, Aug. 21 is being termed “The Great American Eclipse.”
For those states which will experience the totality of the eclipse, from Oregon through Missouri and on to Georgia, an influx of visitors from around the world are anticipated to view the event, the first total eclipse in 26 years.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.