As Arlington prepares for next week’s solar eclipse, several local events are lined up for residents to learn about, watch and pick up glasses for the celestial event.
Although Arlington won’t be in the path of totality running from Texas to Maine, we’ll be getting 87% coverage around 3:20 p.m. on Monday, April 8. The National Weather Service currently predicts partly cloudy skies that day.
The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is hosting a free viewing event at Gateway Park from 2-4 p.m. The event, a collaboration with the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, will include music and lawn games at 1300 Langston Blvd.
Locals can also pick up free eclipse glasses tomorrow while supplies last.
RESCHEDULED: The Central Place Plaza giveaway will now be held on Thursday, April 4, due to rain. See you there at 5PM: https://t.co/2nqF2Y9toy
— Rosslyn, Virginia (@RosslynVA) April 3, 2024
In advance of the eclipse, Arlington Public Library is also holding a free “Solar Eclipse Extravaganza” from 2-4 p.m. this Saturday at Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street). Following family-friendly presentations on the eclipse, attendees can craft their own pinhole viewers.
Also this weekend, the David M. Brown Planetarium at 1426 N. Quincy Street is hosting shows about eclipses at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Both the planetarium and the library plan to give away eclipse glasses at the events, while supplies last.
As ever, viewers should never look at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Regular sunglasses are not sufficient, NASA warns.
“Do NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury,” the agency advises.
The Virginia Department of Transportation, meanwhile, is reminding people traveling during the eclipse not to pull over onto the shoulders or ramps of highways to witness the event. Motorists should expect reduced visibility and should turn on their headlights.
“Drivers should not wear eclipse sunglasses while driving,” VDOT says. “There will also likely be congestion along highways as the sky darkens and even after the event as travelers return to the roads.”
Arlington’s last solar eclipse was in 2017, and the next total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States won’t happen until 2044.
