Solar Eclipse Party Being Held At Morris Museum

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Want to see the solar eclipse but don't want to drive hours? The Morris Museum is hosting a free eclipse viewing party, where attendees can see the partial eclipse over New Jersey and watch the NASA livestream of the total eclipse.

On August 21, a total solar eclipse will past over America for the first time in 99 years. Residents can gather to watch the astronomical phenomenon beginning at 1 p.m.

The event is family friendly, and kids are invited to come and enjoy the view and make crafts. (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.
• If you are within the path of totality, remove your solar filter only when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to glance at the remaining partial phases.
• An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection. For example, cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse.

For more information, email mmastronomicalsociety@gmail.com or visit www.mmastrosociety.org The museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown.

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