Seven years ago, I witnessed my first total solar eclipse. Yes, it was amazing and spectacular, but it was also, surprisingly, a bit sad. Let me explain. I witnessed my first total solar eclipse on Aug. And while there were thousands of other spectators there, it was by all accounts a work event. My friends and family were at home in New Jersey, out of the totality zone and hoping to glimpse maybe a meager partial eclipse of the sun.
So, as totality finished and the sun peeked out from behind the moon, the exhilaration from witnessing a cosmic event was replaced by a twinge of regret for leaving my family behind. But, weather permitting, that will change for the total solar eclipse on April 8. This time I'm bringing my year-old daughter Zadie and some friends. Total solar eclipse Live updates Related: 10 things you probably didn't know about the total solar eclipse. For the April 8 solar eclipse , I'm headed from New Jersey through the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York — which I'm told are stunning — to visit Potsdam, a college town of about 15, people that's also home to the State University of New York Potsdam and Clarkson University.
It sounded perfect to share a cosmic event with family. My wife volunteered to stay behind to watch over our cat Morris. They both have eclipse glasses and will see a Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! Sorry, Space Fans. Try again tomorrow. They have per day from NY State gov. Still, if all goes well — and the skies are clear — Potsdam will see up to 3 minutes and 14 seconds of totality between p.
EDT on April 8 for the total solar eclipse. It's a sight the village won't see again until , local officials have said. We feel fortunate to be in this particular place at this exact moment in time, and look forward to sharing that sense of wonder with all our visitors as well. While other nearby universities are holding campus-only events, SUNY Potsdam is opening its doors to the public and hoping to host up to 5, visitors for the eclipse on Monday afternoon that's how many eclipse glasses the school ordered for the event with a series of educational activities and talks for students and the public from p.
Related: Top 5 items we recommend to safely observe the sun. Page Quinton, a geochemist and associate professor Earth and Environmental Sciences who is helping organize the event. SUNY Potsdam students were scheduled to return to classes on April 8 after a week off for spring break, but the university canceled classes — as did the town's school district — so students could have a chance to see the solar eclipse. Potsdam Central School District also sent its elementary students home with free eclipse glasses before the class break, Wilke said.
