A solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, is going to be a great opportunity to experience to see in the state of New Hampshire. A solar eclipse occurs when the position of the moon in orbit is in between the Sun and Earth casting its shadow down on Earth. This natural phenomenon is somewhat rare, but the shadow is not always visible to us since not all of Earth is covered by land. Here in New Hampshire, we are lucky enough to be in the path of totality! The last eclipse visible in New Hampshire was in August of 2017.
where
The northern part of the state from Lancaster, Berlin, Dalton and north will be able to experience 100% coverage of the sun! Below this point in the state, people will see a partial solar eclipse ranging from 99-94% coverage of the sun. There are so many great places in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire and you can find a lot to do there if you want to make a trip of it!
when
The solar eclipse only lasts for two-three minutes and is expected to be at 3:27 pm on April 8 in Lancaster, NH. Depending on your location, the timing may be off by a minute or two. The total solar eclipse is predicted to not return in this area for another 20 years!
solar eclipse prep
Make sure to be able to go outside to enjoy the solar eclipse in full effect! The total eclipse allows people to directly look at the sun, however, the wavelengths from the sun can still damage your eyes. You will need to get specific glasses that protect your eyes from these! They are fun and look like the 3D movie glasses from our childhoods. Being a senior at UNH, I’m excited to share this experience with my friends and embrace the natural phenomena! This will not be able to be seen for another 20 years in 2044, so get outside and experience this!