Darkness from a solar eclipse will sweep across a large portion of the United States Monday afternoon.

Millions will be in the path as the moon passes in front of the sun, therefore obscuring part or all of the sun.

In the Times News area, the eclipse will cause 92.6% coverage of the sun - enough to cause dusk-like conditions - and will get underway at about 2:07 p.m., according to NASA.

With the rare event, a number of school districts will have early dismissals, groups are holding programs, and folks who will be watching are encouraged to do so with safety in mind.

Those wishing to learn more about the eclipse before it happens are invited to a 10 a.m. Saturday “Exploring Eclipses” program at Beltzville State Park’s Environmental Interpretive Center.

Rob Bergstresser, the park’s environmental education specialist, will talk about solar eclipses and what to expect. He’ll cover the basic science behind them, the best observation spots and safety measures to take. Plus, he will hand out official Pennsylvania State Park Total Solar Eclipse 2024 pinhole viewing cards.

“I am definitely looking forward to the eclipse, even though we’ll be around 93% in the Lehighton area,” he said.

Bergstresser said it won’t be a “total” solar eclipse here, like it will be in northwestern Pennsylvania and other places in the direct path of totality.

“Even 99% isn’t anything like experiencing totality. Just 1% of the sun is enough to make it simply appear ‘overcast’ outside,” Bergstresser explained.

He noted that in complete totality, the stars appear, the temperature can drop as much as 10 degrees, and the birds become silent.

“It’s very eerie,” Bergstresser admitted of the darkness brought on by complete totality.

At the Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington, a Solar Eclipse Party will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday.

Attendees will learn what happens during an eclipse and will be able to view it with the aid of solar eclipse glasses. The party is free for members and open to the public for a small donation.

Glasses

The American Astronomical Society notes that the only way to safely look directly at the sun, during an eclipse or not, is through special solar filters. The filters are used in “eclipse glasses” or hand held viewers, and must meet a standard known as ISO 12312-2. The ISO number should be stamped on the glasses, the AAS says.

But Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is warning consumers about unsafe viewing glasses.

“This is a fun and exciting global event, and that widespread anticipation has attracted scammers looking to make a buck without consideration of potential harm,” Attorney General Henry said. “Do your research to make sure the glasses you buy will thoroughly protect your eyes and allow you to safely view the solar eclipse.”

The AAS recommends testing glasses before Monday by putting them on indoors and looking around. If they see household furnishings, they are not dark enough for solar viewing.

If the glasses pick up only very bright lights from inside, the next step is to wear them outside on a sunny day. Wearers shouldn’t be able to see anything through them “except perhaps the Sun’s reflection off a shiny surface or a puddle, which again should appear very faint,” the AAS notes.

If the glasses pass that test, the final step is to glance at the sun through them for a second.

“You should see a sharp-edged, round disk (the sun’s visible “face”) that’s comfortably bright. Depending on the type of filter in the glasses, the sun may appear white, bluish white, yellow, or orange,” the AAS notes.

If the glasses pass all three tests, they are likely safe - but if folks aren’t completely confident, they should use them sparingly.

It’s also recommended that viewers look at the sun through the glasses for no more than 2 or 3 seconds every 5 minutes or so.

“Staring at a partial solar eclipse for more than a few seconds at a time, even through perfectly safe solar viewers, isn’t much fun anyway,” said Rick Fienberg of the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force. “It’s almost impossible to detect the moon’s motion across the sun in real time except with magnification, and you must never look through magnifying optics while wearing eclipse glasses”

Those who’d rather pass on the glasses and viewing equipment can make their own “pinhole cameras” similar to what Bergstresser will be handing out at the Saturday program at Beltzville State Park.

Directions can be found on the NASA website at https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/

The Lehigh Valley Health Network also issued viewing precautions.

And in response to frequently asked questions, the network noted that there is no need to worry about pets or wildlife during a solar eclipse.

“Animals don’t normally look up into the sun,” the network noted, but recommended that concerned owners keep their pets inside.

Bergstresser noted that the next “total” solar eclipse in Carbon County will be May 1, 2079.

“(That is) 55 years from now, although that eclipse will begin at 6 a.m., right at sunrise, so it won’t be an ideal total solar eclipse to view,” he said.

As for the next total solar eclipse in the lower 48 states, he said it will happen in 2044. Pennsylvanians won’t see complete totality unless they travel to Montana, Western North Dakota, and Western South Dakota.

The last total solar eclipse was Aug. 21, 2017, but Monday’s path of totality is much wider, according to Phys.org, which publishes science articles.

“During the 2017 total solar eclipse, the moon was a little bit farther away from Earth than it will be during the upcoming total solar eclipse, causing the path of that eclipse to be a little skinnier. In 2017, the path ranged from about 62 to 71 miles wide. During the (Monday) eclipse, the path over North America will range between 108 and 122 miles wide - meaning at any given moment, this eclipse covers more ground,” according to Phys.org.