Arlington Solar Eclipse: What You Need To Know

ARLINGTON, VA — The solar eclipse is just a couple weeks away, and as excitement builds to witness this once (or twice) in a lifetime event, there's a few things you should keep in mind as the date approaches. Everything you need to know about the eclipse in Arlington, including what time it happens, the weather forecast, safety tips, where you can get special glasses, and more is below.

What time will it happen, and how much of the sun will be covered? On Aug. 21 at about 2:42 p.m., about 80 percent of the sun will be covered up by the moon in the Silver Spring area. Some part of the sun will be covered from 1:17 until 4:01 p.m.

Why is this such a big deal? It will be the first total solar eclipse to pass through the continental United States in 38 years. The next one will happen just seven years from now in 2024.

What's the weather forecast looking like for that day? That's a bit tricky, but now that we're within 15 days of the eclipse, a clearer picture is starting to materialize. The Capital Weather Gang reports that there is a "high chance of typical afternoon thunderstorms in the Southeast" although there's no telling when they will pop up during the day if they do occur. The super, super early forecast from Weather.com shows Monday, Aug. 21 as partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain in Herndon.

What is Arlington doing for the event? There are a number of places to watch the phenomenon in Virginia and DC:

• In Washington, DC, National Air and Space Museum (600 Independence Ave SW) will have a number of activities the day of the eclipse. Visitors can use solar safe telescopes at the Observatory or pick up solar glasses. The museum also has a make-your-own pinhole eclipse viewer and will live stream the event on screens throughout the building. There will also be other sites to use telescope and glasses around the Mall. The National Archives and National Zoo have also been confirmed as sites.
• The museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly (14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy) will also have telescopes, glasses and make-your-own eclipse viewers.
• The City of Fairfax will have a viewing party at Old Town Hall (3999 University Drive Fairfax). The event runs from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. featuring family-friendly activities like stories, crafts, music, and more while the eclipse becomes visible.
• In the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, residents will gather to watch the solar eclipse at Dental Excellence (3116 Mount Vernon Avenue). The event runs 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m. RSVP for the event by Aug. 15 by calling 703-745-5496 or emailing care@dentalexcellenceva.com.
• In the Greater Alexandria area, residents can watch the eclipse at the Historic Huntley Plantation(6918 Harrison Lane, Alexandria) The event will include fun experiments, storytelling, crafts and viewing of the eclipse. Admission is $8-$10. This event has a wait list.
• There's a fun event for those in the Hampton Roads area. The Virginia Living Museum (524 J Clyde Morris Blvd Newport News) will hold a viewing party at its Abbit Observatory. The observatory will be open from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30pm to see the eclipse as it unfolds. Eclipse glasses will be available free (while supplies last) to allow you to continue viewing the event even after you see it through a telescope. In case of inclement weather, the museum will attempt a live feed of the eclipse from NASA in the Abbitt Planetarium. Visitors can also see two viewings of the Eclipse 2017! program in the Abbitt Planetarium. Eclipse viewing is included with museum admission.
• In the Shenandoah National Park area, the Elkton Community Center (20593 Blue & Gold Drive Elkton) will hold a viewing party. Watch the eclipse from the grounds of the Elkton Area Community Center while enjoying food. Viewing glasses will be provided. It will also be live streamed inside.
• In the City of Falls Church, Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N Virginia Ave, Falls Church) will have glasses available to city residents for viewing the eclipse. They are available at the Youth Services Desk from Monday, July 24 to Sunday, August 6. Quantities are limited and residents must show ID to receive the glasses.

>> Patch will update this with more events as they're announced. Where will you be viewing the eclipse? Let us know in the comments section.

What should I know about safety during the eclipse? Even during an eclipse, you should never, ever, ever look at the sun directly, as it will cause permanent damage to your eyes. The only exception is the few moments when the sun is completely covered by the moon in the "band of totality." Since we aren't located in the band of totality, that doesn't apply to us.

Special glasses are available to view the sun during the eclipse. Only use those, or a pinhole projector, to view the solar eclipse.

Where can I get these special glasses? The Park Foundation will provide a limited number of solar viewing glasses, which will be distributed at the programs. These glasses are important to avoid severe eye damage while watching the eclipse. You should never stare directly at the sun, even during an eclipse, without special glasses.

If you'd like to just order them, they're available on Amazon for about $15 each. However, be warned: some glasses are counterfeit or at least simply not certified for eclipse viewing, and you could damage your eyes by using them.

Just because they're stamped with an ISO seal, indicating they comply with standards set by the International Organization for Standardization, that doesn't mean they're safe as anyone can put that stamp on them. Reports have emerged that companies have been printing the ISO logo and certification label on fake eclipse glasses to make a quick buck. Some are even putting falsified test results on their websites. The American Astronomical Society has posted a list of vendors that are approved to produce eclipse glasses.

Image via Takeshi Kuboki