Solar Eclipse Party Hosted By Astronomers In Jenny Jump State Park

INDEPENDENCE, NJ — It could be one of the celestial events of the century: a total solar eclipse is going to pass over the United States. While we'll only get a partial eclipse in New Jersey, the United Astronomy Clubs of New Jersey, Inc. (UACNJ) is hosting a viewing party in Jenny Jump State Park so you can check out the partial eclipse.

From 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 21, UACNJ will host a viewing party in the state park, and will assist those interested in solar photography. The observatory is located inside Jenny Jump State Park. You can visit their website here. (For more information on this and other local stories, subscribe to your Morris County Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The moon will begin its path over the sun at 1:22:02 p.m., the Morris Museum Astronomical Society said. It'll reach it's midpoint of 73% coverage (the most we'll be able to see in Morris County) at exactly 2:44:28 p.m.. The moon will finish its journey at 4:00:59 p.m., when the sun will be totally uncovered again.

For those planning on watching the eclipse, it's important to note the dangers of looking directly at the sun, even during the peak of the eclipse in N.J. Doing so can cause serious eye damage, including blindness.

The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special “eclipse glasses” with solar filters, warns NASA. Many Morris County libraries are distributing free pairs of glasses, and the Morris Museum is selling pairs in the gift shop. You can also purchase pairs online from, NASA-approved manufacturers. (Check out this NASA certified 10 pack from Amazon.)

Here are more safety tips from NASA here:

• Homemade filters or sunglasses are not safe for looking at the sun. Five manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar views meet international standards, and they are Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, TSE 17 and Baader Planetarium.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device.

Image: In this May 20, 2012, file photo, the annular solar eclipse is seen as the sun sets behind the Rocky Mountains from downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Tom Davis (Patch Staff) contributed to this report