Hudson Valley Guide to Viewing This Year’s Rare Solar Eclipse

This year's rare solar eclipse will be visible from the Hudson Valley, but you should plan ahead exactly where and when to view it.

According to NASA, the last time a solar eclipse happened over the United States was in 1979, but it wasn't visible from the Hudson Valley. The reason why this year's eclipse is such a big deal is because there hasn't been a solar eclipse that has been visible across the entire country since 1776.

If you live in the Hudson Valley, you won't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime show. We've tracked down all of the details to make sure you can get the best view of the eclipse when it happens on August 21.

Data from NASA shows that the Hudson Valley isn't under the exact path of the eclipse. But even though we won't see an entire covering of the sun, the moon will block a most of it, darkening the skies over our area and leaving just a sliver of sun.

The whole show starts in our area at precisely 1:22 pm. That's when the moon will begin to travel in the path of the sun. The partial eclipse will get bigger until 2:43 pm. That's when the event reaches its peak.

Those who are viewing the eclipse should use protective eye wear and try not to stare directly into it to avoid eye damage. The skies will turn dark and the light radiating from behind the moon will be reduced to a bright sliver.

As the moon continues its journey across the sun's path, the skies will gradually brighten again until just before 4 pm when the sun will finally be completely visible again.

Do you plan on viewing the solar eclipse? If you have big plans for August 21 we'd love to hear about it. Feel free to share the details of your eclipse viewing party on our Facebook page or in the comments section below.

Bonus Video: