The Great American Eclipse will take place on April 8. The county is uniquely situated to experience the event’s totality, with three minutes and 30 seconds of darkness in the middle of the afternoon. This full, total eclipse will be viewable throughout Oswego County, with start and end times for the event varying by location. Generally, the eclipse will last approximately two and a half hours, and the period of totality will be about three minutes and 30 seconds. Here are eight fast facts to maximize your eclipse viewing experience.
- In Oswego County, the eclipse begins shortly after 2 p.m. locally, with totality starting and ending shortly before 3:30 p.m. Following totality, the eclipse continues as the moon moves across the sun, before concluding shortly after 4:30 p.m.
- During totality the sky will become dark, similar to the skies at dusk or dawn. Additionally, there will be a drop in temperature during the eclipse. Be sure to be prepared for all weather situations. Animals may also exhibit strange behavior during the eclipse, mimicking their behavior during sunrise and sunset.
- You will need specialized eclipse glasses or viewers to keep your eyes safe while watching the eclipse. Do NOT look at the sun without protective glasses. For information on solar viewers, visit https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters.
- We welcome all visitors to join us to view the eclipse! Due to our location in the path of totality, Oswego County is preparing for an influx of visitors. Be aware that there may be increased traffic throughout the county. Additionally, there may be reduced cellular phone signals throughout the day.
- Be prepared if you are going to be traveling during the eclipse. Make sure you have a full tank of gas and a car emergency kit.
- Choose your viewing location early. Locations such as Selkirk Shores State Park and the cities of Oswego and Fulton will have viewing events. The grounds of Fort Ontario State Historic Site will be open for people to view the eclipse.
- What happens if it’s cloudy? The eclipse will still happen! It will still get dark, and we will still experience totality. We’re hoping for plenty of sun that day though!
Oswego County Tourism has a LightSound device, ensuring that the eclipse can be experienced by people who may be visually impaired. We plan to livestream this on our social media platforms. The LightSound device uses sonification which essentially turns light into sound.
For more information about experiencing the total solar eclipse in Oswego County, visit the eclipse webpage at https://visitoswegocounty.com/eclipse/.