Monday, April 8 marks the last time for the next two decades that a solar eclipse will be visible in Virginia. State parks across Virginia are planning watch parties, and many school divisions are releasing students early.
If you want to see a total eclipse, you’ll have to travel to Ohio or Indiana. But Virginians will have a chance to see a partial eclipse. Beginning around 2 pm, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on Earth and darkening the sky.
“You will notice a significant darkening, but it will be more like it’s getting dusk,” said Kenny Horowitz, chief ranger at Natural Bridge State Park near Lexington. There, visitors will see an 87% eclipse.
“So the moon will cover about 87% of the sun,” Horowitz said.
State parks are hosting educational events leading up to the eclipse to help teach people how to prepare their own viewing devices. There are also online resources on how to build pinhole viewers with four simple materials (paper, scissors, foil and a pencil).
State parks in Virginia are also selling eclipse glasses for a dollar (plus tax). Horowitz said their park plans to have a few hundred set aside for the day of the eclipse. “But there may be a mad dash. So we, fingers crossed, shouldn’t run out, but there may be a mad dash on the glasses last minute, but we should have some available the day of.”
These glasses aren’t just to look cool; they’re essential for preventing eye damage, says Kristofer Rau, a neuroscience expert at the Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine.
“Because you can easily do damage to some very sensitive tissues that are a part of your visual system,” Rau said.
He warned that the most vulnerable parts of our eyes don’t have pain sensors, so we can damage them without noticing it. Never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse.
“You definitely should not use polarized sunglasses,” Rau said. “Those aren’t sufficient enough to protect your eyesight.” He added that you also should not wear eclipse glasses while driving, as they block out part of your vision. If you plan on snapping a photo, he warns that you need to use a special filter for your phone or camera, or the sun’s rays may destroy your camera’s lens.
Virginians won’t see another solar eclipse until 2044.
“And this just provides a moment where it gives you a window of what’s happening in the greater universe, not just in your own personal world, but in the world that we all share,” Horowitz said. “So it’s a nice little opportunity to see something much bigger than ourselves.”
In addition to state parks, universities and colleges across Virginia are also hosting watch parties, including Virginia Tech, Radford University, and the University of Virginia.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
