What time is solar eclipse in N.C.? Search your ZIP code for a viewing guide
A total solar eclipse will occur above the U.S. on the afternoon of April 8, and it will be the first total solar eclipse to go over America since Aug. 21, 2017.
Many places in the U.S. − Rochester, N.Y., Cleveland, and Austin, Texas, to name a few − will see a total eclipse, in which the sun is completely obscured. Other locations will see a partial eclipse, like here in Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.
Search for your ZIP code below or select a major city to reveal the time, duration, peak and percentage of the eclipse in your area.
What time is the eclipse? How long will it last? What will it look like?
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When is the eclipse?
For Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties, the partial eclipse is set to begin just before 2 p.m., according to David Johnston, an astronomer from Brevard who was recently named a NASA Solar System Ambassador.
"For Western North Carolina, the eclipse will start at about 1:50 p.m. and run until about 4:23 p.m. The largest coverage will be about 84% and will occur at about 3:08 p.m.," he said. "The path of totality for the upcoming eclipse runs through Texas, central U.S. and western New York and New England."
Johnston is the head of AstroBrevard, an astronomy club in Brevard, and is also a volunteer at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman. PARI will be hosting a viewing of the eclipse, with ticket prices ranging from $40-$80. They can be purchased by going to https://www.pari.edu/shop/tickets/event-tickets/eclipse-at-pari/.
Johnston won't be at PARI on April 8, since he and his wife will be heading to Texas to view the the total eclipse. The shadow of the moon will pass into Texas a little before 1:30 p.m. Central Time. It will then cover portions of the Midwest and East Coast and touch southeast Canada before it moves out to sea, according to NASA.
Learn more: What is the path of totality for the total solar eclipse? Follow as it crosses the US.
Henderson County
Hendersonville: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83.6% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:08 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Fletcher: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 84.1% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m., with it ending at 4:24 p.m.
Flat Rock: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83.3% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Etowah/Horse Shoe: Starting at 1:50 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83.8% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Edneyville: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83.6% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Transylvania County
Brevard: Starting at 1:50 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83.7% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:08 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Rosman: Residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes beginning at 1:50 p.m. At the eclipse's peak at 3:08 p.m., 83.6% of the sun will be obscured by the moon.
Polk County
Saluda: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 83% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Columbus: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 82.8% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Tryon: Starting at 1:51 p.m., residents will see a partial eclipse for 2 hours 33 minutes, with 82.8% of the sun obscured by the moon at the peak at 3:09 p.m. It will end at 4:24 p.m.
Safe viewing of the eclipse
If you buy or are given eclipse glasses, be sure they are made by companies the American Astronomical Society and NASA have certified as safe. Eclipse glasses should all have the "ISO" (International Organization for Standardization) icon. The glasses also must have the ISO reference number 12312-2.
Johnston said another safe alternative to view the eclipse is by using pinhole projection.
"Simply put a pinhole in a piece of cardboard or thick paper, then let the sun shine through the hole onto a sidewalk or another piece of paper. A colander with the sun shining through it will give you a bunch of little eclipse images, too.," he said.
Learn more: What happens if you look at a solar eclipse? A viewing guide for this year's sky show.
How does an eclipse work? How often do eclipses occur? Where can I learn more about the science?
A total eclipse occurs when the moon appears the same size as the sun and blocks the entire disk, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," when observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, confuses animals – nocturnal creatures stir, and bird and insects fall silent.
Learn more: A total solar eclipse will cross the US in April: Here's where and when to see it
Lea en Español: El eclipse solar total cruzará EE. UU. en Abril: dónde y cuándo verl
Contributing: Janet Loehrke, Javier Zarracina and Shawn J. Sullivan
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is the solar eclipse? Search your area with our interactive map
