Where to see the 2024 solar eclipse in Pueblo and how you can do so safely

Pueblo Chieftain
·4 min read

What is likely to be a stunning solar eclipse is headed for the United States on April 8.

For communities in the path of totality, the sky will temporarily darken as if it’s dawn or dusk.

And while Pueblo and Colorado are not in the direct path, there should still be some impressive views of the celestial event in which the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun.

Pueblo is expected to see a partial solar eclipse starting around 11:30 a.m., with the eclipse lasting about two and a half hours. A little less than 70% of the sun will be obscured by the moon at its peak.

For the best views of the total eclipse, you’ll have to head to one of the states in the path of totality, which include Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

But if you plan on taking in the partial eclipse in Pueblo, there’s at least one opportunity for a public viewing event, as the Southern Colorado Astronomical Society will be organizing a viewing at Colorado State University Pueblo near the Physics and Math Building.

Here are some important things to know if you plan on checking out the 2024 solar eclipse in Pueblo:

What is a solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting the moon’s shadow upon the Earth. This year’s event will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044, according to NASA.

Weather permitting, people in the path of a total solar eclipse can see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will be visible in 15 U.S. states, and a partial solar eclipse will be visible in all 49 continental states.

Safety is key for eclipse viewing

In a guide to the 2024 eclipse on its website, NASA warns that, except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection.

“Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” the website states.

“When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector.​”

Dr. Niranjan Manoharan, a specialist at the UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, said in a UCHealth news release that the solar eclipse lasts between one and three minutes based on location and bright sunlight can suddenly appear as the sun moves.

“Even a few seconds of viewing this bright sunlight can cause permanent damage to the retina,” Manoharan said.

“Once retina tissue is destroyed it cannot regenerate, and this results in permanent vision loss. Therefore, I recommend always keeping proper eye protection during the entirety of the solar eclipse and not trying to view any portion of the eclipse without proper eye protection.”

Dr. Marc Mathias, another UCHealth retina specialist at the eye center, noted in the release there is "no safe amount of time to view the sun without protection.”

For anyone planning to check out the eclipse, the UCHealth experts offer the following guidelines:

  • View the eclipse only with special eclipse sunglasses.

  • Do not rely on regular sunglasses. They are not safe for viewing the eclipse.

  • Keep eclipse sunglasses on at all times during eclipse viewing.

  • Be sure to provide all children with eclipse sunglasses and be sure they do not remove them when viewing the solar eclipse.

  • If you experience vision loss after viewing an eclipse, please see your nearest retina specialist for evaluation.

Mathias added that people need to be cautious about which eclipse glasses they use. It’s vital to make sure eclipse glasses are stamped with the code "ISO 12312-2," which indicates they are manufactured to strict international standards and are NASA-approved. The American Astronomical Society has created a list of approved glasses, viewers and filters.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Here's how to safely view the 2024 solar eclipse in Pueblo