Celebration of Space - August 7, 2026
The diamond ring effect during the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, captured by Frosty Drew Astronomy Team member, Sean Perkins.
This coming Wednesday, August 12, 2026, a fabulous partial solar eclipse will occur over the Northeast US. Over Frosty Drew, the eclipse will max out at 13.48% of the Sun eclipsed by the Moon. Though not as spectacular as the solar eclipse in 2024, 2021, or 2017, this event will certainly be worth observing! At Frosty Drew we will open at 11:00 am offering solar viewing in several telescopes that all use different technologies to filter intense sunlight. This will allow us to observe different atmospheres of the Sun during the eclipse, including views of any sunspots, prominence, magnetic field lines, and more that may be present. We will also have speakers and presentations about the Sun and the eclipse as well as several indirect viewing stations, eclipse glasses, and solar binoculars. We will also live stream the eclipse to screens in the Observatory and around the campus. It will be a fabulous summer day for visitors. Tickets are required to attend the event, which come with a pair of eclipse glasses. Visit our eclipse page for additional information and to get tickets.
If the solar eclipse was not enough astro geekery for you, overnight on August 12-13, 2026 the annual Perseid Meteor Shower peak will occur, bringing with it an increase in regular meteor activity by about 100 meteors per hour. A solar eclipse can only occur during a New Moon, which places the Perseids under best case scenario conditions with no Moon present for the entire night. At this time the weather is not looking too great for the nighttime period on the 12th, though we will keep a close eye on the forecast and open ticket sales once we are sure the night will work out. Check out our event page for additional information.
Considering the solar eclipse this week, there are some important viewing points that should be addressed. Even though some regions of Earth will experience a total solar eclipse, notably regions of Greenland, Iceland, and Span; Southern New England will experience a partial solar eclipse. This means that at no time during the eclipse over New England will there be a time to safely observe the event without eye protection. We’ve seen a lot of wonky advice on social media regarding ways to safely observe the eclipse, though we approach any information on social media the same way we regard chain letters. The only safe ways to directly view the eclipse are with ISO 12312-2:2015 certified Eclipse Glasses, #14 welder’s glass (only #14), or binoculars and telescopes fitted with a solar filter that is attached to the aperture end of the device.
Regarding a smartphone camera or other types of digital cameras, you will need adequate protection when directing these devices towards the Sun. This is due to the camera sensors being unable to collect the intense light when directed towards the Sun. The likelihood of burning out the sensor is very high. Additionally, you risk accidentally looking at the Sun. If you are confident in your ability to not look at the Sun, fitting your camera with a solar filter will get you a stunning picture of the eclipse without damaging the camera sensor. You can achieve this by simply placing your eclipse glasses over the camera lens when directing towards the Sun.
There are also several indirect viewing methods that will offer excellent views of the eclipse. Some of these methods involve making a camera obscura device, sitting under a tree and looking at all points of light on the ground, which will be little eclipses, setting up binoculars or a small refracting telescope on a tripod and projecting the view of the Sun onto a piece of paper or a wall (obviously do not look through the device!). Check out our YouTube on qualifying old eclipse glasses for safe functionality, if you have an old pair from a previous eclipse, they will likely be okay to use as long as they pass the tests in the video. If you are unsure about a device you have, you can contact us at astronomer@frostydrew.org and we will attempt to qualify your device for you. Regardless, safe observation is key to creating a lasting memory of the eclipse instead of a lasting vision impairment. For more information, check out our article on safe solar observation.
