2024 Solar Eclipse Resources
- Time and Date – Eclipse details (time, duration, etc) for your location
- NASA: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse – safety, where to watch, FAQs, and more.
- Rainbow Symphony – safe eclipse glasses and viewers; quality solar filters (may be selling out soon!)
- ISO Certification: if purchasing or using solar viewing glasses, be sure to check for ISO Certification: ISO 12312-2 or ISO 12312-2:2015
Viewing the Eclipse around the Neighborhood
- From anywhere: Look up at the sky. Wear proper viewing glasses to look at the sun (see ISO certification above)
- Sullivan County (NY): Solar telescopes will be at SUNY Sullivan – viewing with John Kocijanski of the Catskills Astronomy Group.
- Orange County (NY): Viewing and telescopes at SUNY Orange in Middletown
- NYC: viewing with AAA at Greenwood Cemetery. Also check with your local libraries.
My Local Groups
- Catskills Astronomy Meet up group for Observing and outreach around Sullivan County
- Rockland Astronomy Club – Observing, NEAF, and other event
- Amateur Astronomers Association – Public observing, lectures, classes, and more through this NYC group
Finding Your Way Around the Night Sky
- SkyMaps: A monthly map that can be downloaded and printed, with current constellations and planet positions, as well as a list of objects of interest on the back.
- Uncle Al Star Wheel: It can be printed on card stock and quickly assembled. This is a paper version of a planisphere. It will show the seasonal constellations over the course of a year.
- Planispheres: These come in various sizes, and may be plastic or paper. Orion makes a nice, sturdy paper version. Be sure to select your correct latitude when purchasing one.
- Sky View Lite App: The free version of this app still offers some guidance for finding your way around the night sky. Available for iOS and Android.
- Stellarium: The app may be paid now. It’s a bit more advanced than SkyView, but it still has the point-and-identify feature. Also available for laptop/desktop. This is an FNA favorite.
Visualization Software
I use Stellarium and OpenSpace to create almost all of the visuals for my projects.