Solar Eclipse 2017: See New Jersey Eclipse Photos

UPDATE: Photos of the solar eclipse in the New Jersey sky:

ORIGINAL STORY: New Jersey is getting plenty of exposure to the solar eclipse on today (see live stream information below).

We've got viewing times, a weather forecast, some last-minute reminders, viewing tips and a live stream for the total solar eclipse as seen by NASA (see below).

The zone for seeing it stretches across the country. While the prime exposure areas where a total solar eclipse is expected is in the Southeast and Northwest, New Jersey will have some prime viewing times.

Enough of the eclipse will be visible that Rutgers and NASA scientists are urging potential viewers to take precautionary steps.

Here are the prime exposure times and places in New Jersey:

• A partial eclipse will begin at about 1:20 p.m., peak at about 2:45 p.m. and end shortly before 4 p.m. on Aug. 21.
• The moon will block about 70 percent of the sun at the state’s northern border with New York, near High Point in Sussex County.
• The farther south you go, the more you'll be exposed. The moon will be block about 80 percent in Cape May.

Read more: Early Look At Eclipse Day Forecast: Will Clouds Block N.J. View?

See more specific viewing times below

You’ve likely already seen or read all you need to know about the erie daytime darkness we’re about to experience, but a few last-minute reminders can’t hurt.

1. First and foremost, protect your eyes. The history of eclipses is littered with scores of accounts of people damaging — and even losing — their sight by looking toward the sun with inadequate protection or none at all. Ordinary sunglasses won’t help. If you look directly at the sun, be sure that you have glasses that you’re sure are ISO 1232-2 compliant.
2. 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.
3. Live in the moment, meaning, put down that obnoxious cell phone. 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 during those darkened two minutes or so around you.

Read more: Warning: Don't Use Solar Eclipse Glasses Purchased At Jenkinson's Boardwalk

Solar Eclipse Viewing Parties in New Jersey

• Liberty Science Center in Jersey City: At 10 a.m., there will be telescopes and sun spotters available, as well as LSC staff on hand to answer all of your eclipse-related questions. A Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon light show will also be featured.
• Cranford Public Library: Solar Eclipse Viewing Party: Open to public. Today at 1 to 3 p.m.
• Princeton Solar Eclipse Viewing Party on Palmer Square: 1 to 4 p.m. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket and protective glasses and snacks will be provided at this three-hour Solar Eclipse Viewing Party. Princeton is not in the path of totality, but there should still be a good show. Astronomers from Princeton University’s department of Astrophysical Sciences will be there to provide eclipse education and answer questions.
• Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University in Glassboro: The planetarium at Rowan is hosting free planetarium shows every half hour in between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The first 1,000 visitors will be given goodie bags consisting of solar eclipse tattoos, stickers and the highly coveted solar eclipse glasses. They will also have solar telescopes available.
• The Dreyfuss Planetarium at the Newark Museum in Newark: An event will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Horizon Plaza. They’re also a good place to check out for more information about eclipses. The planetarium is running a show about eclipses, “Eclipse: The Sun Revealed.”
• Robert J. Novins Planetarium at Ocean County College in Toms River: The Great American Solar Eclipse Event will be held at 1 to 4 p.m. Join members of A.S.T.R.A and Planetarium Staff as they set up solar telescopes to give visitors a view of this astronomical event.
• Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook: Solar Eclipse Party, 1 to 5 p.m. A solar eclipse happens when the moon completely blocks out the sun's outer atmosphere called the corona. This is a rare event - the last solar eclipse visible in the continental United States was 1979 and the next will take place in 2024. Rangers and astronomers will share with visitors how to safely enjoy the solar eclipse.

NASA Broadcast, Live Stream

NASA will provide views of the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, and potentially astronauts aboard the International Space Station. NASA Television’s four-hour live broadcast, Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA begins at noon ET.

For details, satellite coordinates and broadcast timeline, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
In addition to the NASA TV broadcast, live video streams from locations across the country will be available at: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive

Social media
The 2017 solar eclipse is shaping up to be one of the biggest science events of the digital era. NASA will provide social media updates via the agency’s flagship accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+, and LinkedIn.
NASA is also providing live streaming coverage during the eclipse via the NASA App and on the following social media streaming sites:

• Facebook Live -- https://www.facebook.com/NASA/videos/10155497958441772/
• Twitter/Periscope -- https://www.pscp.tv/nasa
• Twitch TV -- https://twitch.tv/nasa
• Ustream -- http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv
• YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0

Read more: Watch Live Stream: Total Solar Eclipse 2017 As Seen By NASA

Carlton “Tad” Pryor, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, says New Jersey should know when the eclipse is here, as long as the weather cooperates, even if it's not a total eclipse.

“A total solar eclipse is always very dramatic,” Pryor said in a release. “The sky gets dark, animals and birds go quiet as if it’s nighttime and it’s a little bit cooler outside. The partial solar eclipse that will be visible in New Jersey is much more subtle, but will be noticeable if you know what to look for.”

Tips for Safe Eclipse Viewing

Because it is unsafe to look directly at the sun, Pryor said anyone wishing to see the phenomenon must protect their eyes with specially made and certified filters or by observing the eclipse indirectly.

Direct viewing can be done safely with "No. 14 arc welder glass" or with eclipse viewing glasses that meet the following criteria outlined by NASA:

• Have certification information with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard
• Have the manufacturer’s name and address printed on the product
• Not be used if more than three years old or with scratched or wrinkled lenses

Homemade filters or sunglasses – even very dark ones – are never safe for looking directly at the sun, according to Pryor. There are reports of potentially unsafe eclipse glasses appearing for sale, so be sure to buy eclipse viewers from reputable vendors (click here to find them).

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

Pryor offered a few suggestions for safe, indirect viewing.

• If the sky is clear at around 2:45 p.m. on the day of the eclipse, stand in a leafy tree’s shadow and look at the ground. The smallest spots of sunlight will make little crescent shapes, showing the sun’s apparent shape as the moon crosses in front.
• Another method is to make a small hole in a piece of cardboard with the tip of a pencil or pen and project the light onto a white piece of paper, he said. For a better view, put the hole over a mirror and reflect the light onto a more distant white piece of paper or white surface.

Total eclipses in the Continental United States are unusual, with the last one happening in 1979, Pryor said. Hawaii experienced one in 1991, and New Jersey will have to wait until May 1, 2079, to get one, according to Rutgers University.

Even then, the total eclipse will be visible only in the northern two-thirds of the state and will occur only a few minutes after sunrise, so it won’t be easily visible.

“An eclipse is a remarkable phenomenon,” Pryor said. “It was always regarded as signifying something important. Some people thought something was eating the sun and tried to make noise to scare it away. But the ancient Greeks understood what was happening and could start to predict some of these phenomena.”

More specific viewing times

Eclipse photos by Maggie Rivera and Tom Davis

YouTube video and photo from Rutgers University