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Indiana University of Pennsylvania professor Kenneth Coles had only one word to sum up the forecast for Saturday’s partial eclipse: dismal.
“Clouds and rain is what they’re calling for right now,” said Coles. “But if we get a hole in the clouds — and we’re always hopeless optimists about that — we’ll get out on campus with special solar telescopes to view it.”
Starting around 12:18 p.m. Saturday, Pittsburgh-area residents will be able to see the moon begin to cross into the path of the sun. At its peak, around 1:11 p.m., it will block about 30% of the sun’s light.
“Once a month, the new moon moves almost between the Earth and sun,” Coles said. “Most months, we don’t see that, because its orbit is crooked. That’s why we don’t have an eclipse every month.”
For Americans in a narrow band of the country running 45 degrees southeast from Eugene, Ore., to Corpus Christi, Texas, the early afternoon will be much more dramatic. They will view an annular eclipse that places the moon almost perfectly centered in front of the sun, creating what astronomers call “the ring of fire.”
“The moon is in the farther part of its orbit from Earth, which is why we get a ‘ring of fire’ and not a total eclipse,” Coles said. “It’s a spectacular thing to experience.”
And, just like any other solar event, it requires precautions to ensure you don’t damage your eyes. Coles recommended glasses designed for eclipse viewing or a “pinhole projector,” easily made by poking a small hole in a shoe box and facing away from the sun to create a miniature projection of the eclipse.
Officials at Ohiopyle State Park’s Tharp Knob Picnic Area will host a viewing party from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, with solar glasses available. The picnic area is at 124 Main Street in the park.
NASA.gov will also host a live feed of the “ring of fire” with cameras stationed throughout the Southwestern U.S.
Coles said that with cloudy skies forecast for Saturday, what he’s really looking forward to is April 2024, when the Cleveland and Erie areas will be in the path of a total eclipse.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed for that,” he said.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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