Baltimore Gets a Small Partial Solar Eclipse Wednesday Afternoon

Baltimore will receive only a small piece of Wednesday’s global solar-eclipse event, but the timing still gives local residents a brief afternoon viewing window.

The partial eclipse begins in Baltimore at approximately 1:15 p.m. Eastern time, reaches maximum coverage around 1:52 p.m. and ends near 2:29 p.m., according to local eclipse calculations. Roughly 4.6 percent of the sun’s disk will be obscured at maximum.

That means Baltimore will not become dark, and the change in daylight may be difficult to notice without paying close attention. The path of totality is far to the northeast and across the Atlantic, passing through parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain. NASA’s eclipse map places Baltimore near the southern edge of the partial-eclipse visibility zone.

Small coverage does not make direct viewing safe. Looking at the sun without proper protection can injure the eyes even when most of the disk remains visible. Regular sunglasses, dark glass and improvised filters are not substitutes for eclipse viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard.

Cameras, binoculars and telescopes require solar filters mounted over the front of the optical device. Eclipse glasses alone should not be used while looking through magnifying equipment because the concentrated light can damage the filter and the viewer’s eyes.

Anyone without certified glasses can use an indirect method, such as a pinhole projector, or follow a verified livestream. NASA and other astronomy organizations are carrying views from locations closer to or inside the path of totality.

For Baltimore, the event is a modest local glimpse of a much larger celestial moment. Confirm the path with NASA’s eclipse map and check the Baltimore timing table before viewing.

Find additional Baltimore service reporting in PowerPage’s Local News section.