3 Last-Minute Reminders Before The Partial Solar Eclipse Reaches Florida

SARASOTA, FL — You’ve likely already seen or read all you need to know about the eerie daytime darkness we’re about to experience across Florida, but a few last-minute reminders can’t hurt.

1. First and foremost, protect your eyes. The history of eclipses is littered with scores of accounts of people damaging — and even losing — their sight by looking toward the sun with inadequate protection or none at all. Ordinary sunglasses won’t help. If you look directly at the sun, be sure that you have glasses that you’re sure are ISO 1232-2 compliant.
2. Those glasses can be expensive. The best eclipse-on-a-budget device for viewing has been used for more than 1,000 years: the pinhole camera. All you need is a couple of pieces of paper to construct your own basic version. For a deluxe version, you’ll need only a cereal box (emptied to avoid Cheerios in the eyes), a couple of strips of tape, a small piece of paper and and some foil. Here’s how to build a pinhole camera quickly.
3. Live in the moment, meaning, put down that obnoxious cell phone. Eclipses like this one are rare, and NASA and other sources will provide photos of the moon obscuring the sun that are far better than you’ll be able to snap. So, rather than fumbling around with something as common as your cell phone, soak in the wonder of what’s happening far above you.

The timing of Monday's partial solar eclipse will vary just a bit in Florida, depending where you are in the state. The celestial event is expected to begin around 1:15 p.m. or so with an end around 4:15 p.m. The peak in the Tampa Bay area is anticipated to arrive around 2:50 p.m. It is estimated Floridians will see an eclipse between 60 and 81 percent. In the Tampa Bay area, partly sunny skies are expected.

Folks who plan to be on the roads during Florida's partial eclipse will want to check out this video for safety advice:

Image via NASA