Solar Eclipse 2017: Wisconsin Viewing Times, Locations

Wisconsin residents will get plenty of exposure to the solar eclipse on Monday, Aug. 21. The big questions are: Where and when can you see it? And what steps do you need to take so the light doesn't damage your eyes?

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, Pennsylvania will have some prime viewing times. Enough of the eclipse will be visible that NASA scientists are urging potential viewers to take precautionary steps.

A partial eclipse on Milwaukee's lakeshore will begin at about 11:53 a.m., peak at about 1:18 p.m. and end at 2:40 p.m. on Aug. 21. The farther south you go, the more you'll be exposed.

Here are the specific viewing times:

Milwaukee: Partial Solar Eclipse
Begins: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 11:53 am Countdown
Maximum: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Ends: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 46 minutes
Magnitude: 0.86

City of Waukesha: Partial Solar Eclipse
Begins: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 11:53 am
Maximum: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Ends: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 2:39 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 47 minutes
Magnitude: 0.87

Eau Claire: Partial Solar Eclipse
Begins: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 11:43 am Countdown
Maximum: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 1:06 pm
Ends: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Magnitude: 0.86

Tips for Safe Eclipse Viewing

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

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

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

Here are a few suggestions for safe, indirect viewing:

• If the sky is clear at around 2:44 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. Hawaii experienced one in 1991.

Eclipse Viewing Parties In Your Area

Milwaukee

The Wehr Nature Center is welcoming visitors to safely view the “Great Eclipse of 2017”—or, in the Milwaukee area, the 83 percent eclipse of the sun—in an open-house program, Aug. 21 from noon–2 p.m. The Nature Center is located in Whitnall Park at 9701 W. College Ave. In addition to discovering what makes this eclipse special, visitors will learn safe viewing techniques and will don special protective glasses to view the eclipse, which will reach its maximum at about 1:18 p.m. Participants may also take a peak at the sun through a telescope equipped with a solar filter.

The Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 E. Wells St., also will have an event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including educational displays, a live feed of the eclipse, special telescopes to observe the sun and eclipse glasses on sale for $2.

Sheboygan

See the solar eclipse as it occurs. Solar eclipse glasses will be handed out until the supply runs out. Learn about our Sun and see the Sun through a solar telescope.
Date: Monday, 8/21/2017
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: Silver Lake College, 2406 South Alverno Road, Manitowoc, WI 54220

Main Image via NASA