The eclipse is coming on April 8

Are you ready for the eclipse? A nearly total solar eclipse will be visible in Fairfax County on April 8 – as long as it’s not too cloudy.

The eclipse will start at around 2:04 p.m. and end around 4:32 p.m. The maximum eclipse – with about 87 percent of the sun blocked by the moon – will occur around 3:20 p.m.  

It’s not safe to look at an eclipse without special viewing glasses. Fairfax County libraries are giving some away, but supplies are limited and they could well run out by the time you read this.

Viewing an eclipse without protection can cause severe eye injury, even when looking through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope.

It’s also possible to observe an eclipse with a homemade viewer. To make one, you’ll need a cardboard box, a small piece of aluminum foil, a white sheet of paper, tape, a pin or needle and a box cutter or X-Acto knife. A cereal box or shoe box can be used. See the instructions on Space.com.

Fairfax County Public Schools has compiled a list of learning resources on eclipses.

The Park Authority has scheduled several eclipse-viewing events on April 8 at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly, Burke Lake Park in Fairfax Station, and Historic Huntley Meadows in Alexandria.

The pathway of the total eclipse visible in the United States will run from Texas to Maine.

After the April 8 eclipse, there won’t be another total eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until Aug. 23, 2044.