Partial solar eclipse to be visible in Hudson Valley March 29: When, how to see it

• The partial solar eclipse will be visible above White Plains on Saturday, March 29
• During partial solar eclipse, only part of the sun will be blocked
• After March 29, next solar eclipse to be visible in the Hudson Valley will not occur until 2026

This weekend is probably one of the few times you don't want to look up at the sky— at least, not directly. A partial solar eclipse will be visible to several states in the northeastern U.S., including New York.

What is a partial solar eclipse?

A partial solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth. However, unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon, sun, and Earth aren't perfectly aligned, says NASA. With the moon not completely covering the sun, only part of the sun is blocked, and thus the appearance of a crescent sun, as though a bite were taken out of it.

When and where can I see the partial solar eclipse?

For White Plains, the partial solar eclipse will begin 6:42 a.m. Saturday, March 29, and end 23 minutes later, at 7:05 a.m., according to the Time and Date website.

Blink and you'll miss it, though. The eclipse will be at its maximum at 6:45 a.m. with a magnitude of 0.360— the magnitude of an eclipse being the fraction of the diameter of the disk of the eclipsed body (the sun) that is covered by the eclipsing body (the moon.)

Since the sun will be near the horizon at that time, the recommendation is to head to a high point or an unobstructed area facing east for the best view of the eclipse.

The weather forecast for Saturday calls for mostly cloudy in the morning with periods of showers later in the day, with the chance of rain 40%.

How to safely view the partial solar eclipse

Do not look at the sun directly during the eclipse. Sunglasses will not protect your eyes, only use International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers from a trusted source.

The American Astronomical Society states on its website:

• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched, punctured, torn or otherwise damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.
• Always supervise children using solar filters.
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking 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 an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewer in front of your eyes — the concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury.
• Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device; note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens or other optics.

One can also indirectly view the eclipse through a pinhole projector, where one views a projected image through a small opening made in an index card or a piece of cardboard paper. Need to know how to make one? The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has instructions.

If you miss the partial solar eclipse

Should you miss this one, the next partial solar eclipse that can be seen in the area will be Aug. 12, 2026 (with a smaller coverage, a magnitude of 0.197). A total lunar eclipse will occur March 3, 2026 and a partial lunar eclipse Aug. 27-28, 2026, says Time and Day.