Want to check out the solar eclipse in Tacoma? Here’s what to expect
Tacoma was the place to be during the total solar eclipse in August 2017. The “Great American Eclipse” graced the city with an out-of-this-world treat: Around 95% of the sun’s surface was blocked from view.
This Monday, Tacoma residents can witness another eclipse, but it will be “considerably less impressive” than its 2017 predecessor, said Dr. Sean O’Neill, assistant professor of physics at Pacific Lutheran University.
During the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, the moon will completely conceal the sun “as viewed from a narrow strip of locations on Earth called the path of totality,” O’Neill told The News Tribune via email. Several cities across North America will be ideal for checking out the eclipse, including Austin, Cleveland, Montreal and Mazatlán.
Tacoma? Not so much.
“It will still be possible to perceive a slight decrease in sunlight (assuming clear skies), but the experience won’t be nearly as obvious or dramatic as it would be nearer to the path of totality,” he said.
Just around 20% of the sun’s face will get hidden from view here on Monday, he said, and sky-gazers in Seattle will also feel underwhelmed.
The eclipse will begin in Tacoma at 10:38 a.m. and end at 12:20 p.m., according to timeanddate.com. The maximum view will hit at 11:28 a.m.
Other areas of the Evergreen State will make for better — but not exactly stellar — eclipse-watching, O’Neill said: “The situation is slightly improved in the southeastern part of the state, where roughly 30% of the Sun’s area will be obscured at its maximum.”
Total solar eclipses typically occur once every 1.5 years, but we often can’t see them when they happen far away from population centers or over the ocean, O’Neill said.
“Although total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth fairly frequently, it is much more rare for such an event to occur at a specific location,” he added. “The next total eclipse to intersect the contiguous United States after the April 8th event, for example, will occur just over twenty years from now.”
Many Washington residents were unable to catch a glimpse of the last solar eclipse in October thanks to bad weather.
What is Tacoma doing for the eclipse?
Certain cities nationwide are ringing in the eclipse with a series of viewing events. Tacoma isn’t one of them.
“No eclipse events or activities are scheduled for us here at City of Tacoma since Western Washington will only experience a 20% maximum eclipse and the Pacific Northwest is not near the center of the action,” said city spokesperson Linda Robson.
Robson urges Tacoma residents who still want to try and witness the solar ordeal to be safe and plan ahead. Pick a good location and protect your eyes. If you’re driving when the eclipse hits, park your car before gazing at the sky.
Families with kids can also head to the Tacoma Nature Center through Monday to learn about the eclipse with the Agents of Discovery mobile app, a Metro Parks Tacoma spokesperson noted via email.
How can I safely view the eclipse?
Tacomans who want to sneak a peek of the eclipse need to take the proper precautions.
“The only safe way to view an eclipse directly is while wearing ISO-approved eclipse glasses or when looking through an optical instrument equipped with a professionally constructed and safety-tested solar filter,” O’Neill said.
A limited number of eclipse glasses are available to snag from Tacoma library branches while supplies last, a Tacoma Public Library representative told The News Tribune in an email.
Don’t fret if you don’t have eclipse glasses, though. You can still view the event, albeit indirectly.
“If you punch a small hole in a piece of cardboard, light from the sun can pass through that hole to project an image of the sun on the other side,” O’Neill said. “If you arrange the cardboard so that the projected image hits a screen (a white piece of paper works just fine), you can safely view that projected image on the screen.”
Kitchen colanders also work to project multiple images of the sun simultaneously, he added. And remember: Never look at the sun with the naked eye.
This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
