Solar Eclipse 2017 Wows Connecticut Viewers

HARTFORD, CT — All of North America was treated to an eclipse of the sun on Monday, with some parts of the country even experiencing the truly rare sight of a total solar eclipse where the moon completely covered the sun. As a result, the sun's tenuous atmosphere (or corona) was visible from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina.

Total solar eclipses occur about once every 18 months and are visible from at least some place on the Earth’s surface, however it would take a millennium for every geographic location in the continental U.S. to see the phenomenon, according to NASA.

Observers in Connecticut, however, only experienced a partial solar eclipse as the moon covered part of the sun's disk (See a photo gallery of viewers in Connecticut at the end of this story). Still the prospect of seeing the astronomical phenomenon was enough to coax many residents outside for a bit during the afternoon. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Players at the Golf Club of Avon got to view the eclipse while playing a charity game Monday.

"We got out ahead of this and are distributing the ISO certified glasses to our players today!" said Steve Madison, head pro at the Golf Club of Avon, where a charity outing is scheduled Monday.

About 1,000 people gathered around Horsebarn Hill and the UConn Dairy Bar for an eclipse party sponsored by physics professors. The UConn Dairy Bar even had a special sundae- vanilla and chocolate ice cream with yellow and brown sprinkles and whipped cream.

There were about 150 sets of approved viewing glasses, but viewers happily shared them with each other or brought their own homemade devices made of out of boxes.

The Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk saw a huge turnout for the eclipse viewing as it hosted special events throughout the morning and afternoon. Hundreds gathered in the museum's outdoor area, where guests young and old looked up at the sky while wearing their safety glasses.

“We are thrilled with the turnout," Stepping Stones School Programs Manager Katie Shapiro said in an interview with Patch. "I think it’s better than we thought it would be, and we’re happy because it is a big event and we wanted people to come out and take part in it.”

While many in attendance were from the Norwalk area, the viewing brought in people from all over Connecticut such as Danbury and Wallingford. The turnout is all the sweeter, as this particular event has been in the works for most of the year.

“We started planning this in February," Shapiro said. "We were really excited about astronomy this year, and this is one of our highlights for the year. It hasn’t happened [in Connecticut] in a while, so we knew people would be very excited about it.”

While the museum hosts special events throughout the year, Shapiro said this one is particularly unique As such, the museum is thrilled to further its role of educating guests of all ages throughout the community.

“We thought we would bring awareness to this, but we didn’t realize it would become such a big thing," Shapiro said. "We’re glad that we could be a part of it and be a resource to the community, where they could come learn more about it and check it out.”

When To Look Up On Monday and What You'll See

According to eclipse2017.org, Connecticut experienced a 68 percent eclipse. The partial phases started around 1:25 p.m., according to both Yale University and Wesleyan University.

It then reached a maximum effacement of the sun's disk at 2:45 p.m. and ended around at 4 p.m.

“Where we’re located, [Connecticut] will have a partial eclipse.," Kate Whitaker, an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut's Department of Physics, said in an interview with Patch. “Basically you will see the sun progressively dim and see an overall darkening. You are not going to see what you would have in totality, which is basically a golden ring, but we will see an overall dimming.”

Why Is It Happening?

Solar eclipses occur when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, according to NASA. While the moon's orbit is merely about a month long, it is also tilted by about five degrees respective to Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Due to this tilt, the moon often misses too high or low to cause a solar eclipse. In other words, all three entities (the sun, moon and Earth) must line up close to the “line of nodes” for an eclipse to occur.

What Do I Need To Watch Safely?

The only time a viewer can safely look directly at an eclipse is during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse when the the sun’s bright face is entirely blocked by the moon, according to NASA. Due to the fact that Connecticut will only experience a partial eclipse, residents viewing the event will need to wear a pair of NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses.

“The most important thing is to be aware you should not look directly at the sun without proper viewing glasses for safety reasons," Whitaker said. "People should be aware you can damage your eyes if you don’t have proper equipment.”

See also: Get Your NASA-Approved Solar Eclipse Glasses Before It's Too Late

• Solar Eclipse: Don't Fall For Fake Eclipse Glasses

NASA advises that an ordinary pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses, or even a homemade filter, is not safe for viewing the eclipse, as they could transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. It is also advised that viewers do not stare continuously at the sun and give their eyes a break while taking in the spectacle.

Those glasses can be expensive. The best eclipse-on-a-budget device for viewing has been used for more than 1,000 years: the pinhole camera. All you need is a couple of pieces of paper to construct your own basic version. For a deluxe version, you’ll need only a cereal box (emptied to avoid Cheerios in the eyes), a couple of strips of tape, a small piece of paper and and some foil. Here’s how to build a pinhole camera quickly.

The American Astronomical Society has released a guide on how to tell if your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers are safe, which can be found here.

NASA also advises against looking at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars or any similar devices while using eclipse glasses or a hand-held solar viewer, as the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and cause serious injury to a viewer's eye.

NASA has provided a guide to safely viewing the eclipse, which can be found here.

Where Can I Watch It In Connecticut?

A number of places in Connecticut hosted events celebrating the eclipse, including viewing parties and day-long activities.

The Connecticut Science Center in Hartford hosted a Total Eclipse Celebration, where attendees can view the eclipse at the center while enjoying food trucks, a dance party and more.

RiverQuest in Haddam hosted a Solar Eclipse Cruise, where attendees attended a unique viewing party right on the Connecticut River.

Tourism website ctvisit.com lists 10 local communities that will be hosting events related to the eclipse:

• Hartford
• Litchfield
• Haddam
• Norwalk
• Glastonbury
• Ridgefield
• Westport
• Suffield
• West Hartford
• New Milford

View the full list and descriptions for each event at ctvisit.com.

Storrs campus held its own eclipse event at the UConn Dairy Bar.

The university also had four solar telescopes set up for the entire event. Visit the University of Connecticut website for more information on this event.

For those looking to get more out of the eclipse than locally offered, NASA will also be providing live video from several cities in the path of the total eclipse. Viewers can also use this interactive Google map to find the spot of the longest eclipse.

Those interested can also check out Vox's interactive map to figure out what time the solar eclipse will reach its height in your area.

Eclipses like this one are rare, and NASA and other sources will provide photos of the moon obscuring the sun that are far better than you’ll be able to snap. So, rather than fumbling around with something as common as your cell phone, soak in the wonder of what’s happening far above you.

Why Should I Care?

As Monday draws closer, Whitaker said she is more excited about one aspect of the eclipse than even viewing the event.

"It is not going to be the same effect as if you were in the path of totality," Whitaker said, "but it is really something that is happening all across the country and getting everyone excited about astronomy. I think it is a kind of unifying thing across our country...we love that we can get the public excited about astronomy.”

Images via RJ Scofield/Patch, Tim Jensen/Patch, Chris Dehnel/Patch, NASA and Golf Club of Avon