Solar Eclipse 2017 On Long Island: When, Where, How To See It Plus NASA Live Stream

Long Island may not be within the path of totality, but that doesn't mean you can't have a good time viewing the once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse that's set to cross over North America on Monday afternoon. NASA will be providing live video from several cities in the path of the total eclipse, but for those who want to watch it in person (Long Island will experience an approximately 70 percent eclipse), many locations across the island are holding viewing events.

Here are places hosting viewing events (click on the links for more details):

• Cradle of Aviation Museum, located on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard in Garden City
• The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, located at 377 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton
• Bethpage Public Library, located at 47 Powell Ave. in Bethpage
• East Meadow Public Library, located at 1886 Front St. in East Meadow
• Floyd Memorial Library, located at 539 First St. in Greenport
• Hudson On The Mile, located at 340 Woodcleft Ave. in Freeport
• Huntington Public Library, located at 333 Main St. in Huntington (event has been canceled. Instead, the library has a limited supply of Eclipse Shades and they will be handed out to Huntington Public Library cardholders beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, limit of two per family. They will have astronomy crafts from noon to 2 p.m. in both buildings.)
• John Jermain Memorial Library, located at 201 Main St. in Sag Harbor
• Mastic Moriches Public Library, located at 407 William Floyd Parkway in Shirley
• Middle Country Public Library, located at 101 Eastwood Boulevard in Centereach
• North Bellmore Public Library, located at 1551 Newbridge Road in North Bellmore
• North Shore Public Library, located at 250 Route 25A in Shoreham
• Oceanside Public Library, located at 30 Davison Ave. in Oceanside
• Sands Point Preserve, located at 127 Middle Neck Road in Sands Point
• South Huntington Public Library, located at 145 Pidgeon Hill Road in Huntington Station
• Wantagh Public Library, located at 3285 Park Ave. in Wantagh

(Are there viewing events that we missed? Email paige.mcatee@patch.com and Patch will add it to the list.)

Many events will provide viewers proper eyewear to protect their eyes from the sun. (Seriously, don't look into the sun without proper eyewear. It can permanently damage your eyes.) But make sure to call ahead that events have glasses available.

• Solar Eclipse 2017: Long Island Weather Forecast

The partial phases will start in our area at 1:24 p.m., according to Stony Brook University. It will then reach a maximum effacement of the sun's disk at 2:46 p.m. and end around at 4:01 p.m.

NASA's Eclipse Viewing Tips

• Homemade filters or sunglasses are not safe for looking at the sun. Five manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar views meet international standards, and they are Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical, TSE 17 and Baader Planetarium.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After glancing at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device. Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury. Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars or any other optical device.
• An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection. For example, cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse.

NASA Broadcast, Live Stream

NASA will provide views of the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, and potentially astronauts aboard the International Space Station. NASA Television’s four-hour live broadcast, Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA begins at noon ET.

For details, satellite coordinates and broadcast timeline, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

In addition to the NASA TV broadcast, live video streams from locations across the country will be available at: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive

(Image via Shutterstock)