Partial solar eclipse creates excitement in NC, millions across America witnessed rare totality
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- All eyes shift to the sky as we count down to Monday's solar eclipse.
More than 31 million people are in the path of totality from Texas to Maine. The path is more than 2,000 miles long across 15 states.
The Tar Heel state was not on that path, but many North Carolinians took advantage of the opportunity to see it. The next eclipse will not happen for another two decades.
MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM
Hundreds of students, planetarium staff, and people in the Triangle showed up at the watch party at UNC's Morehead Planetarium, which took place between 12:30 and 4:30 pm. The planetarium was selling ISO-approved glasses to view the eclipse safely but quickly ran out amid high demand. Some people attending Monday's watch party waited on line for a pair of those glasses for more than three hours.
"My daughter, she's close with her grandparents and I don't know that they'll be able to see another one, you never know, so they're all going to go together and see it," said Elena Chowdhury, one of the first people in line.
Several watch partygoers said the rarity of the moment - there won't be another total solar eclipse visible in the US for 20 years - was a major contributor to them coming out.
"Next time one like this comes through is going to be 2044, and I'll be at a completely different stage of my life. So I wanted to see something beautiful before I graduate and move on from here," said Joe Friedman, a graduate school student at UNC Chapel Hill.
North Carolina was in the 80 to 84 percent partial totality which started at 1:51 p.m., peaked at 3:15 p.m. and was over by 4:30 p.m.
WATCH | NC Governor Roy Cooper watches eclipse with Morehead Elementary science class
RELATED | Millions of Americans witness a rare total solar eclipse
BURLINGTON, VERMONT TOTALITY
People in Burlington, Vermont witnessed the solar eclipse and the sun's diamond ring after totality ended.
TOTAL ECLIPSE WOWS IN NIAGARA FALLS
The eclipse will last nearly 4 and a half minutes for those in the path of total darkness.
It is not safe to look directly at the eclipse as it can permanently damage your eyesight. You must wear eclipse glasses that have a special solar filter. Sunglasses will not be good enough.
Eclipse glasses must be bought from a trusted manufacturer. Anyone can print the international safety standard code on their glasses without testing the product.
The American Astronomical Society has published a guide on their website to finding approved glasses.
Another safe way to view the solar eclipse is to create a pinhole camera, which will create a projection of the image of the sun onto a surface.
The AAS and NASA have instructions on their website on how to make one.
"You can do this in a ton of different ways," Catherine Roberts from Consumer Reports said. "In 2017, I used some NASA instructions to make one out of a cereal box and you, like, have a little eye hole, and then the image of the sun is projected on the inside of the box. It's very cool."
With safe viewing, you can enjoy one of nature's unique spectacles.
SEE ALSO | NC State leading research in rare study on animal behavior, response during solar eclipse
