The long-waited eclipse is just hours away, but if you still haven’t picked a place to watch, don’t panic yet. The internet’s got your back with endless suggestions of the best places to view the rare phenomenon in New York.
The key time to start looking up (safely) is at about 1:23 p.m. at which point the moon will start to pass the sun. It’ll begin to get a little darker until 2:44 p.m. at the height of the eclipse. At 4 p.m., everything will start to look more normal as the moon continues to move.
There are an array of rooftop bars holding viewing parties this afternoon, like City Vineyard at Tribeca’s Pier 26. Haven Rooftop on West 47th Street will even have a signature Eclipse Negroni for viewers to sip while watching the astronomical spectacle. Other events will occur at the Hayden Planetarium, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Central Park, to name ust a few.
But remember to watch safely. The public has been warned that looking directly at the eclipse without any eye protection can cause serious and possibly irreparable damage to the retina. One study reported by the American Astronomical Society showed that of a group of individuals watching a 1962 eclipse in Hawaii without protection, only half fully recovered their vision. While most of special glasses for this year’s eclipse have been scooped up from stores already, check out Warby Parker’s on Greene Street or B&H Photo for any last-minute finds.
