ECLIPSE

On Monday, April 8, skywatchers have the opportunity to witness an historic astronomical event. A total solar eclipse is set to grace Earth and will be visible throughout the entire United States, with its totality making a brief appearance in southeast Oklahoma.

The “Great North American Eclipse” as some are dubbing it, also occurred back in 2017, however, the viewing duration this year will last up to twice as long depending on the viewing location.

An eclipse’s totality is referred to when the moon’s path places it directly between the Earth and the sun, fully covering the bright star when viewed from certain places on Earth. The shadow that the moon casts will make some areas appear completely dark, save for the little light that peeks out from the outer edges of the moon.

The path of the eclipse’s totality will start in western Mexico at the city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and move northwest through the middle of Texas. Cities such as Uvalde, Austin and Dallas will fall within the path of the totality, with the viewing experience lasting between one to five minutes.

Oklahomans residing in the southeastern Oklahoma localities, such as Idabel, Broken Bow, Hugo and Antlers, will be able to view the totality in full before it sweeps across the central and eastern

United States and briefly into Canada, eventually ending in Maine.

Those in the totality path in Oklahoma should see the solar eclipse at around 1:45 P.M. central time. Viewers in the rest of the state will see partial coverage of the sun starting at around 12:28 P.M. and lasting until about 3 P.M.

Spectators must take special precautions in order to safely view Monday’s eclipse. The naked eye cannot view an eclipse without sustaining significant damage, so those wishing to fully witness the event must wear ISO-certified-safe eclipse glasses or binoculars.

Certified glasses can be purchased at most retail stores and select eyewear outlets.

Those looking for an optimum viewing experience are instructed to wear their eclipse glasses when the sun is partially covered. Only viewers in the path of the eclipse’s totality can take their glasses off, but only when the sun is completely covered by the moon, according to NASA.