Community Corner

Will I See The Total Solar Eclipse In Arlington?

We're not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, but neither will we miss out on the celestial sensation.

Michael O'Connell's profile picture
Michael O'Connell, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Arlington residents will not see the total eclipse on April 8, but they'll still be able to see 90 percent of the sun's surface obscured by the moon.
Arlington residents will not see the total eclipse on April 8, but they'll still be able to see 90 percent of the sun's surface obscured by the moon. (Margo Sullivan/Patch)

ARLINGTON, VA — Excitement is building in Arlington for the April 8 total solar eclipse. We’re not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, but neither will we miss out on the celestial sensation.

All students in Arlington Public Schools will receive protective solar-viewing glasses for the partial solar eclipse that will take place Monday afternoon, according to an update that Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán sent APS families on Wednesday.

"There is a lot of excitement around the solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8, as it provides a rare opportunity to learn more about this extraordinary natural phenomenon," Durán said. "In our area, the eclipse will occur between 2-4:30 p.m."

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth. In Arlington, the moon will cover about 87.7 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

Here are the details:

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Partial eclipse begins: 2:04 p.m
  • Maximum: 3:20 p.m.
  • Partial ends: 4:32 p.m.

The eclipse will last 2 hours and 28 minutes from beginning to end in Arlington.

Rosslyn BID is hosting a solar eclipse viewing event from 2-4 p.m. at Gateway Park, which is located at 1300 Langston Blvd. The viewing is courtesy of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club.

Right now, it looks like we could have partly cloudy skies for the big event, according to NASA's forecast.

The total solar eclipse starts in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Arlington