Get ready! On Monday, April 8, 2024, parts of the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse. Seattle will experience a partial eclipse starting at around 10:39 a.m. and ending at 12:21 p.m., with the maximum coverage of the sun (20%) at 11:29 a.m.
Here’s a reminder about how to experience it safely and how to pick up free eclipse-viewing glasses at The Seattle Public Library.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks the sun. This eclipse will be a partial eclipse for most of North America, but a total eclipse will be visible on a path (“the path of totality”) from Western Mexico to Eastern Canada.
Totality will be visible first in Mexico, then in Texas just after noon, local time. The eclipse will then move northeast through Oklahoma, Missouri, Ohio, New York and Maine, to name just a few of the states, and into Canada. To see what Seattle will observe of this eclipse use the Eclipse Simulator. Find more information on the gov eclipse site.
To view the eclipse safely, you’ll need eclipse glasses. If you look directly at the sun during an eclipse without correct eyewear, severe eye damage may occur.
If you don’t yet have eclipse glasses, the Library is offering a limited supply at 27 locations. The glasses are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Please limit glasses to two pairs per family to ensure as many as possible can participate.
Solar eclipse glasses must be picked up in person at a Library location — no phone call or email reservations will be accepted.
You can also purchase eclipse glasses online. Be sure to find glasses that are ISO-certified for use during an eclipse. And be sure to supervise young children when outdoors during the eclipse.
The next total eclipse to cross the continental U.S. will not be until Aug. 12, 2045.
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