FAQs

FAQs

• Whats happening on april 8th?

  On Monday, April 8, 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse, and Rochester, New York is in the path of totality. In a solar eclipse, the moon gets between the Sun and Earth. In a total solar eclipse, people who are in the path of totality see the Sun’s bright disk totally covered by the Moon for a short time.

• IS VIEWING THE solar eclipse dangerous?

  No. Eclipse viewing is safe, enjoyable, and worthwhile if you equip yourself with some basic information and take simple precautions. To prevent eye damage, do not look directly at the Sun during the partial phases of an eclipse. (You wouldn’t normally do that anyway, but during an eclipse, the Sun is more interesting than usual.) Don’t look into a mirror at a reflected image of the Sun. Instead, look through a filter or “glasses” made specifically for solar viewing, or project the Sun’s image onto some surface. The Simons Foundation and the Flatiron NoMad Partnership will be distributing up to 2,000 glasses during this event.

• wHERE IN OUR SKY WILL THE sUN BE AT ECLIPSE TIME? I NEED TO KNOW IF A NEARBY BUILDING OR TREE WILL BLOCK MY VIEW.

  Good question! As seen from western New York at mid-eclipse, the Sun will be in the southwestern sky, a little more than halfway up from the horizon to the overhead point. According to “The Path of Totality” Scientists, the best location in Flatiron and NoMad to see the solar eclipse is the Flatiron South Plaza (plaza located next to the Flatiron Building).

• WHEN WAS THE LAST SOLAR ECLIPSE IN NEW YORK CITY?

  The last total solar eclipse in New York was in 1925.

• WHEN WILL THE NEXT SOLAR ECLIPSE BE IN NEW YORK CITY?

  The next total solar eclipse in the United States will be in 2045. The next total solar eclipse in New York City will be in 2079 (in 55 years) and in 2144.

• HOW RARE IS THIS?

  Probably. The closer you are to the centerline of the path of totality, the longer totality will last for you. Because there is so much to see and feel during totality, it is worthwhile to travel to a place with a few seconds more. Please view a map of the path. If you are outside the path of totality, you will not get the experience of a total eclipse. A partial eclipse is not the same experience at all. We suggest you make plans to travel to the path of totality. No one who has experienced a total eclipse regrets the effort.

• I DON’T LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY BUT I AM IN THE AREA. WILL THE TIMING OF THE ECLIPSE BE DIFFERENT FOR ME?

  Probably. The closer you are to the centerline of the path of totality, the longer totality will last for you. Because there is so much to see and feel during totality, it is worthwhile to travel to a place with a few seconds more. Please view a map of the path. If you are outside the path of totality, you will not get the experience of a total eclipse. A partial eclipse is not the same experience at all. We suggest you make plans to travel to the path of totality. No one who has experienced a total eclipse regrets the effort.

• WHO IS PUTTING THIS PARTY VIEWING TOGETHER?

  In the Path of Totality is an initiative of the Simons Foundation‘s Science, Society and Culture division and is brought to you in collaboration with Flatiron NoMad Partnership.

• HOW DO I SHARE MY SOLAR ECLISPE EXPERIENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? 

  Share your experience by posting your awesome photos on social media and tagging us @FlatironNY and @SimonsFoundation.