What to Know
- NYC won't be in the "path of totality" but it'll still be quite a spectacle; the moon will start to cover the sun at 1:23 p.m. Aug. 21
- At 2:44 p.m., it'll be at its maximum coverage (about 70 percent to 75 percent), and the partial eclipse will end at 4 p.m.
- The only safe way to look directly at uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, so get your glasses now
Watch live eclipse coverage from across the nation here starting at 12 p.m. ET.
New Yorkers are searching high and low for a pair of specialty sunglasses affixed with a solar filter ahead of Monday’s much-anticipated Great American Eclipse.
Thousands of glasses have been delivered to stores in the city, but many of them have been scooped up in recent days, leaving last-minute searchers scrambling.
Photos posted to social media on Sunday showed block-long lines of people hoping to bag a pair.
One of the longest lines was at Adorama in Chelsea.
“The Great American Eclipse is already being overshadowed by the line to get a pair of solar eclipse glasses for The Great American Eclipse,” @NYAdventureClub posted to Twitter along with a photo of a line.
“Partial eclipse of the line @adorama for eclipse glasses,” Eric McClure tweeted.
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At B&H in Midtown, there was a long line of people picking up online orders of the glasses. The store was out of glasses for walk-in shoppers.
Multiple Best Buy stores in Manhattan and Queens had voice messages that said they too were sold out of the glasses.
Some people are hoping to grab a pair at libraries or viewing parties during the eclipse on Monday. Others plan to make their own pair using online tutorials.
"I'm going to make the little box, like you know, the little shoe box thing with the pinhole," Cynthia Webb said.
No matter what, it’s important not to view the sun without proper protection.
Local
Meanwhile, many people have made plans to attend a viewing party or to step outside at 2:44 p.m. for the maximum eclipse.
"I think I'll just try to find the tallest building I could go up in," Keenan Brooks said.
Customers of the Lovage Rooftop NYC on 40th Street can buy eclipse glasses with a cocktail, that is, if they don't sell out. "We are 37 flights up in New York City in the middle of Midtown West." manager Lindsay Benjamin said.
Over at the Haven Rooftop on 47th Street, Manager Monica Seo said she's got a long list of reservations for Monday.
If you're still planning your day, here are some of the places where you might be able to score solar eclipse glasses. And here are some locations in the tri-state where you can watch the historic event.
