Chester County to Catch 80 Percent of Upcoming Solar Eclipse

Dusk will come very early on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 21 — or at least it will seem to.

Darkness akin to dusk will descend upon Chester County briefly in mid-afternoon as a result of a rare total solar eclipse by the moon, according to a Daily Local News report by Chris Barber.

Dubbed “The Great American Eclipse” because it’s the first nationally visible solar eclipse since 1979, the phenomenon will occur between 1:30 and 4 PM, with the peak scheduled for 2:44 PM, when the passing moon will obscure about 80 percent of the sun in Chester County.

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Some observers, like Chester County Astronomical Society President Roger Taylor, will drive south to catch the eclipse somewhere along the swath of 100 percent obscurity, which cuts diagonally from South Carolina to Oregon.

But even Taylor will be careful about looking at the sun then.

“Never look at the sun … only at the totality,” he said. “You can go blind … permanently. It will damage the vitreous humor or burn the retina.”

The next total solar eclipse isn’t expected until April 8, 2024, and then again on Aug. 12, 2045.

Read more about the upcoming “Great American Eclipse” in the Daily Local News here.

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