Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While Western New York is less than six months away from the historic Total Solar Eclipse set to sweep through the region on Monday, April 8, 2024, preparations continue for residents to be ready for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
In addition, there is set to be a partial Annular Solar Eclipse to take effect this weekend in the region, where about 20-25% of the sun will be blocked by the moon passing through.
At a press conference held Tuesday at the Buffalo Museum of Science in East Buffalo, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was joined by a number of local eclipse experts and partners to share important safety information, as well as what Western New York residents could expect this upcoming April.
Perhaps the most notable part of Tuesday's press conference was the announcement of the purchase of 300,000 eclipse viewing glasses that will be available, free of charge, at not only the Buffalo Museum of Science, but also at all 37 Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries.
"What we want people to know is we wanted to get them early out to the public. We don't want people in the last couple of days trying to figure out where they're going to be able to get glasses," said Poloncarz on Tuesday. "There'll be no charge, these will be free, but we only have 300,000 of them and we have a little less than a million people in Erie County. So we know these are going to be the hottest commodity, because everyone is going to want to witness the eclipse as it happens. As noted, we are in the totality, and this is something that has not happened in our region in decades, and won't happen in our region again for, at least, decades, maybe more than a century."
Poloncarz says with the help of partners in the Erie County Legislature, the county invested $100,000 to buy 300,000 of the eclipse glasses.
A Total Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon and the sun align, casting a shadow on the Earth. Buffalo and much of Western New York will be in the Path of Totality, where the path of the Moon's shadow will leave the area in darkness for a few brief moments. It will also allow for a look at the Sun's corona that is visible during the little more than three minutes of total darkness.
It was nearly 100 years ago when the last Total Solar Eclipse rolled through Western New York, providing a total blockage of the sun for a brief period of time. After this upcoming Total Solar Eclipse, the next such event will not occur for another 120 years in the region.
"Buffalo is one of a handful of lucky cities that fall on the Path of Totality," said Kathy Leacock, interim President and CEO of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. "For a few brief moments, the skies will darken, the temperatures will drop, and if the clouds here are pleased, they will make way for us all to enjoy the breathtaking view of the sun's corona. This will, no doubt, be a historic and memorable moment for our region that we should all look forward to with great excitement and anticipation. And, thanks to science, predicting when and where it will occur, we can plan ahead."
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The Total Solar Eclipse set to take place on April 8, 2024 will begin at approximately 3:15 p.m. ET. That's around the time in Western New York when, normally, schools would be letting kids out of session, and when the beginning of rush hour starts across the region.
To complicate matters a bit more, many are expecting several hundred thousand people, even up to a million visitors from out-of-town to take in the one-of-a-kind event in the region.
That's why experts are making recommendations, in terms of how and where people can view the solar eclipse.
"We at the Science Museum are encouraging Western New Yorkers to stay at, or close to home for the eclipse, or to choose a viewing location where they can comfortably stay before, during and after the eclipse in the event of that traffic backup," said Dr. Holly Schreiber, Chief Scientist for the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. "We are here to help train you on how to safely view the eclipse from wherever you are on April 8. Whether that'd be your backyard, a local park, or maybe your office building."
Members of the Buffalo Eclipse Consortium have also been encouraging all school districts in the area to be closed for the day.
"We don't really want our kids stuck on buses in the middle of this thing. That's about the time of day this would be happening," said Mark Percy, Director of the Williamsville Space Lab Planetarium. "Other non-essential businesses, if it doesn't need to be open, think about being closed for that day. It's not going to be a normal day. You might think you're gonna go about your normal business, but if it's even partly clear, it is not going to be business as usual around here."
On the other hand, though, experts are not discouraging certain businesses or anyone from hosting a special viewing event for the Total Solar Eclipse.
"There's money to be made. Restaurants and hotels, and anybody who can welcome these visitors in and make them have a positive experience here in Western New York, go for it with everything you've got. We're not going to get another opportunity for this," Percy said.
In addition this Saturday, the Buffalo Museum of Science will be hosting a special viewing event for the partial Annular Solar Eclipse that will take place between 12 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET. The museum is offering free admission, eclipse activities and safety training from 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET, and weather permitting, staff will be available to guide guests in safely viewing the partial eclipse in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
However, the museum will be closed on April 8, 2024.