The media — TV news stations and even the New York Times — have generally done a poor job of prepping folks for the great April 8 total solar eclipse. That’s probably because their journalists have never seen one.
So here’s the vital stuff you must know while even now I’m already gone, leading our own eclipse tour on a leased-out ranch winery in Texas.
You needn’t go to Texas, since its chance of clear skies is just ten percent greater than ours. But you do need to know these things.
1. You won’t see it from the mid-Hudson Valley. For centuries, a partial solar eclipse meant the same thing as no eclipse, since all the amazing stuff happens only during totality. But these days, since the entire mainland U.S. will see at least a partial eclipse, many media outlets will proclaim, “The eclipse will be visible from right here in Kingston!” Forget that. Partial solar eclipses, when eye protection is necessary, happen every year or two. You’ve seen them before; they’re mildly interesting but hardly spectacular.
2. From here, the nearest places in the path of totality are Burlington, Plattsburgh, Oswego, Rochester, Watertown, every beach on Lake Champlain, and most of the Adirondacks.
3. What about weather? Well, clouds would ruin the whole thing. You should check the National Weather Service forecasts a day or two before that Monday and act accordingly. Long-term cloud-cover studies show that we generally have a 50-50 chance of seeing the Sun on an April 8 mid-afternoon. Adirondack areas may be slightly poorer because mountains tend to promote afternoon clouds, with totality happening around 3:15 p.m. Conversely, an east-west swath south of Lake Ontario along I-90 tends to be a bit clearer, favoring places like Rochester.
4. Hotels are generally sold out. But many are simply leaving our region early that morning and going for the day. A 5 or 6 a.m. departure is likely to avoid any traffic problems. Returning may or may not see traffic tie-ups. If so, one could exit a bit south of the eclipse path to any town en route home where motel vacancies should be widely available, and simply return home the next day.
5. This is the final total solar eclipse in our region until May 1, 2079, so it’s your only chance unless you’ll travel overseas, like coming to Egypt in 2027.
6. Only a total solar eclipse provides a glorious, even sacred natural experience. It surpasses all other natural phenomena. It will be the most magnificent thing you have ever seen, guaranteed. And during those 3 ½ minutes of totality, no filters are used; you can even use binoculars if you wish.
7. Here is the recommended procedure for safety and maximum impact.
A) Use your filter (the floppy kind or else a shade 12, 13 or 14 welders’ filter and no other shade) during the hour-long partial eclipse, starting at 2:12 that afternoon.
B) When the Sun has become super-skinny around 3:15 p.m., put down the filter and take in your surroundings. The scene is now illuminated by just the edge or limb of the Sun, and looks weirdly alien. Familiar objects like people or cars now have saturated colors, unearthly stark shadows, and are so visually unique it is a scene that should not be missed!
C) When the light on your surroundings fades a bit more, do not wait for complete darkness, which will never happen. Instead, now take quick momentary glances at the Sun every five seconds or so. Such super-quick glances cannot hurt your eyes. You’re looking for the diamond ring and if you wait too long, you’ll miss it. When a quick glance does finally show it, the black New Moon and the surrounding solar corona will also be visible, and your totality experience has begun. But while the diamond ring is present — looking infinitely more amazing than photos you’ve seen — do not stare at it. For eye safety, change the exact spot you’re staring at every 3-5 seconds. While keeping your attention on the diamond or the whole solar scene, point your eye at the side of the Sun, or a place just off the Sun’s edge. By shifting the spot you’re staring at, any heat energy from the diamond won’t have a chance to build up on your retina. We’ve been using this method since 1970, with never an ill effect.
D) When after 3-10 seconds the diamond ring vanishes, your 3 to 3 ½ minutes of totality really begins. Take it all in, especially the Sun’s curving magnetic lines made visible by its surrounding corona.
E) Pink geysers of nuclear flame will shoot up from the edges of the eclipsed Sun. Sometimes these are small, and binoculars bring them out gorgeously. For safe binocular use, enjoy the first half or full minute of totality with just your naked eye, then use the binoculars for 30 seconds to a minute, then put them down and use just your eyes again. That way, binoculars will only be used during the middle of totality, eliminating any chance of accidentally pointing them at the uneclipsed Sun.
Two more tips. First, don’t be around anyone who will be talking. This is a rare, sacred, natural event, and human voices can only diminish the experience. Ask everyone in your party to remain silent during totality, or else spread a blanket or lawn chair a distance away from others, which is what I always do. Secondly, and less importantly, don’t bother with photography. The time spent adjusting focus and f-stops and switching lenses (always use a long telephoto if you do take pictures) will be seconds of totality you’ll never get back. If you’re a serious photography hobbyist, then sure, go ahead. But otherwise, know that better photographers than you will be capturing and publishing eclipse images; you needn’t sacrifice those precious seconds.
Join the family! 
