Solar Eclipse (Photo: NASA)
While a swath of the United States will see a total solar eclipse Monday afternoon, Shore residents will experience about 73 percent of the event, data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shows.
For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States, according to NASA, and 14 states will experience about two minutes of total darkness during the day.
Calculated from a site in the middle of Barnegat Bay, the eclipse will begin at 1:23 p.m. and reach totality at 2:46 p.m. Northern Ocean County will experience between 73 and 74 percent eclipse coverage while the southern portion of the county, south to Cape May, will experience about 74 to 76 percent.
According to NASA, the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.
Additionally, viewers around the world will be provided a wealth of images captured before, during, and after the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station – each offering a unique vantage point for the celestial event. NASA Television will air a multi-hour show, Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA, with unprecedented live video of the celestial event, along with coverage of activities in parks, libraries, stadiums, festivals and museums across the nation, and on social media.
