RI Eclipse Watch Aug. 21: Best Places To View It

CHARLESTOWN, RI—Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown is all set for the solar eclipse on Aug. 21. They're opening the campus at 10 a.m. The eclipse starts at 1:30 p.m., and they have plenty of gear, including eclipse shades, so people can watch safely.

Related Story: RI Solar Eclipse Parties

"Solar telescopes in both white light and hydrogen alpha will be setup for observers to catch a view of the solar photosphere and chromosphere, including views of sunspots, prominence, and filaments on the Sun," the staff said. "We will have solar projectors setup showcasing projected views of the Sun as well as eclipse shades on hand for safe observing of the solar photosphere. The Solar Eclipse starts at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:00 p.m. with maximum eclipse occurring at 2:47 p.m. when the Moon eclipses 65.98% of the Sun. Unfortunately, Frosty Drew Observatory is not along the path of total eclipse. We will experience a partial solar eclipse."

And that's the bad news for all of Rhode Island. Only on a belt of real estate from Salem, Ore. to Charleston, S.C. will people see the Aug. 21 eclipse in its totality. Rhode Islanders will only see the partial show unless they drive to Charleston, S.C.

NASA's interactive map shows the time for each location. Click on a spot, and the graphic tells you the hour and minute for each location.

Still, it's an event worth celebrating. The last total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States was in 1979, according to NASA, and the last to hit the mainland was 99 years ago.

According to media reports, hotels along the path are booked (with some planning stretching back years in anticipation of the heavenly event). People have marked the occasion on their calendars. Special viewing glasses have been secured. Invitations to watch parties have been sent out.

Patch is still looking for local watch parties, like the one at Frosty Drew. The planetarium at Roger Williams Park on the Providence/Cranston line is rumored to be planning an event. Unfortunately, the Ladd Observatory on Providence's East Side is closed for maintenance until Aug. 31, per its website. We're still checking with University of Rhode Island for the physics department's plans, if any. Patch will update this story if any more eclipse parties turn up. Little Compton is going to have one hosted by Nature Conservancy at the Goosewing Beach Preserve.

Nerd Central aka NASA also is all agog over the imminent solar eclipse. At the ready is their Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) to study the moon's shadow passing over our planet as a means to learn more about how the sun's energy is absorbed and reflected in Earth's atmosphere through the use of camera-captured data and measurements on the ground.

Learn more about that EPIC quest here:

Eclipse2017.org has put together a list of the best cities to see the eclipse. You can also watch live video of next month's eclipse recorded by NASA.

And another thing: Just because it's a partial version doesn't mean you can gaze at it with your naked eyeballs. Looking directly into the sun can severely damage your peepers, people. To view the eclipse, you'll need to wear special glasses equipped with special-purpose solar filters.

• See More: Total Solar Eclipse Barrels Across the Country: Full Path, Times, Duration, Best Viewing Cities, All You Need To Know

Looking directly at the sun can severely hurt your eyes. The folks at NASA recommend checking with local science museums, schools and astronomy clubs for special eclipse glasses. If you do buy a pair, make sure it's ISO 12312-2 compliant and CE certified. We found a nice pair of eclipse glasses on Amazon.com for $12.69.

If you're too frugal to buy a pair and you enjoy welding or know a welder, you can use a welding mask with a No. 14 shade or darker. You also can use a telescope provided it's equipped with solar filters or a pinhole camera.

Space.com provides a primer on watching a solar eclipse without damaging your eyes. Whatever your preference, remember: Sunglasses are not for eclipse viewing, as they lack the proper level of protection. Wear special glasses, which will look something like this:

According to weather experts, eclipse viewing (again, just partial in Rhode Island, sorry) should be ideal given a usual weather pattern across the state in mid-August featuring a high-pressure ridge overhead allowing for clear skies.

But not everything will be peachy keen in those states where the total eclipse will be visible. According to Bloomberg, the solar eclipse could shut down more than 9,000 MW of solar power in the four hours or so that the moon will obstruct the sun. Starting just after the noon hour EST, the eclipse will cast a 70-mile shadow along a path stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, effectively blocking all that solar power from reaching energy grids.

California will be the biggest hit as solar power on some days serves as much as 40 percent of the state's energy load, Bloomberg reported.

So, you see, it's a mixed bag. To get your motor running, here's a NASA video on how to safely view a total solar eclipse, complete with some nice music.