Greetings!

If you still want eclipse glasses, I am happy to report that we still have plenty of them! Moreover, because we're not a pack of voracious velociraptors ripping away the last tender tendons from the bone, the price per pair is still $2.00 and not $57.68 + a convenience fee. 

If you want them mailed, just send a reply.
Add $1.00 shipping for a pack of 10 or fewer; $2.00 for a pack of 11 or more.

We will have all glasses shipped by or before a week from today, provided, of course, we hear from you by or before 8:00 a.m. next Friday.

Or, if you can screw up the courage to descend into our dungeons, our gift shop will be open each day until 2:00 p.m. If nothing else, it will give you an opportunity to go into the bathroom to admire the  Parthenon.  (A strangely mythological  addition to our facility that will put to rest all doubt that Portland is indeed the microbrew capital of North America.)

Now, for some questions:

1.Hey, I heard the probability of cloud cover in Maine on April 8th is 112.3%.    If I miss this eclipse, when will I see the next one?  
Fortunately, we'll see a partial solar eclipse here on March 29, 2025.   The Sun will actually rise partially eclipsed.    (One of those 'twilight of the crescent Sun' moments in which people scurry about trying to fulfill medieval prophecies.)    So, if we miss the April event, we could use the glasses to watch the March event.

2. Um, what's the probability of cloud cover on March 29th?
Never mind.

3. When is this eclipse again?
I have the date and times for three Maine locations below.
Reminder:   the eclipse will not be total down here in the important* part of Maine.   However, it will still captivate us all!


PORTLAND
We'll start here, at the epicenter of the Milky Way Galaxy.
The eclipse will begin at 2:17:55 p.m.    One will observe the faintest hint of a shadow along the Sun's limb: like an malevolent apparition loitering along one's periphery. (Or perhaps not).

The eclipse will be maximum at 3:31 p.m.    The magnitude will equal 0.964.     This value means that the moon will block 96.4% of the Sun's diameter.   Obscuration refers to the percentage of the Sun's area the moon blocks.       When the magnitude exceeds 0.93 it begins to converge with obscuration.  The moon will cover about 96% of the Sun's area, reducing its brightness to about 2.5% of its usual intensity.     HOWEVER:    do not remove your eclipse glasses even at maximum!     They can only be safely removed when the eclipse is total!

The eclipse ends at 4:39:47 p.m.    The subtle darkness along the Sun's limb vanishes and the eclipse draws to a close.    By this time, however, the crowds might have long since dissipated.  

BANGOR
Eclipse begins at 2:20:28 p.m.  Notice that even the distance of 150 miles will make a difference in the timing.    The eclipse begins about two and a half minutes later in Bangor than Portland.

The eclipse will be maximum at 3:32:55 p.m.   Eclipse magnitude 0.987.    Bangor will be closer to the totality path than Portland and so the eclipse magnitude value will be higher.   Approximately 99% of the Sun's area will be blocked at maximum, which will reduce the Sun's intensity to 1% of its usual value.  HOWEVER:    do not remove your eclipse glasses even at maximum!     They can only be safely removed when the eclipse is total!

Eclipse ends at 4:40:44 p.m.    Again we see the time difference between Portland and Bangor.

HOULTON
Now we venture into the totality path, a region we'll explore in greater detail in the next post.

Eclipse begins at 2:22:15 p.m.   Notice again the time difference as we proceed north

Totality begins at 3:32:06 p.m.  Here we see a line that did not appear in the Portland or Bangor sections.    At this moment the moon completely blocks the Sun.  In a later series article, we'll explain what an observer will see at totality    YES: you may remove your eclipse glasses during totality.   Just be sure to put them back on before totality ends!
 
Maximum:  3:33:46 p.m. The moment at which the Sun is at its most hidden.  

Totality ends at 3:35:25 p.m.   At this moment the first sliver of the Sun appears. Notice that totality only lasts 3 minutes and 19 seconds.   The closer one is to the central path, the longer the totality period will be.     Mathematically, the longest total solar eclipse will last 7 minutes, 31 seconds.**

Eclipse ends at 4:41:04 p.m.

The timing, magnitude and duration is all a matter of location.    Even small distances can account for measurable time differences.      To calculate the circumstances at your location, consult the splendid web-site   timeanddate.com

*We're just kidding, Orono.    We'll genuflect three more times toward the north today as a penance.