The month of March marks my 19th year at WTOP bringing you the latest on space, astronomy and sky happenings.
Two weeks ago, we were getting ready for the total lunar eclipse of the full worm moon, which was spectacular on the Amazon River!
The latest development in this current eclipse season will take place Saturday for D.C. area residents, with viewers graced with a very short duration partial solar eclipse.
Elsewhere, eclipse viewers will see much more of the sun being obscured by the moon.
You must adhere to the following solar eclipse viewing safety requirements to prevent injury to your eyes and damage to your smartphone/camera.
Safety first
If you are viewing the eclipse with others, especially children, make sure they do so according to the following guidance.
Solar eclipse observers have to follow safe sun viewing procedures, as failure to do so will result in eye injury.
Here is everything you need to know about eye safety and how to safely view the solar eclipse. If you plan on wearing solar eclipse glasses, using a solar filter for your camera/smartphone and/or any kind of optical aid, you need to insure you purchased them from a reputable supplier.
In 2017 and 2024, there were solar filter/viewer products that did not meet the strict ISO standard and presented a danger to the public.
For your eye safety the American Astronomical Society (AAS) states on its website:
“Important: We do not recommend searching for eclipse glasses on Amazon, eBay, Temu, or any other online marketplace and buying from whichever vendor offers the lowest price. Before you buy a solar viewer or filter online, we recommend that you make sure that (1) the seller is identified on the site and (2) the seller is listed on this page.”
To photograph the eclipse check out this website and the links at the bottom of the webpage. If you want to use your smartphone, I highly recommend using the Solar Snap product. I beta-tested it and it worked like a charm with great results.
In the DMV, this partial solar eclipse will occur just after sunrise and will have a very slight eclipse of the sun lasting only about two minutes! You will need a clear view of the Eastern horizon. Weather forecast is mostly cloudy at sunrise on Saturday.
Be solar safe if you plan to view/image the eclipse. Quite honestly, your best option — given the weather forecast, very short eclipse duration/minimal coverage by the moon and difficult viewing conditions — is to tune in live online.
Be sure to check back here at WTOP on April 1 to see what sky sights await us — no April Fool’s here.
Follow Greg Redfern on Facebook, Bluesky and his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.
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