Partial solar eclipse visible in Maine Wednesday

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Wednesday, Aug. 12, Maine will see its last solar eclipse for about 20 years.

This celestial event will not be as spectacular as what we saw here in 2024 with the total solar eclipse.

But if you have eclipse glasses or viewing equipment like a projector, here in Bangor you will see the moon blocking 24% of the sun.

Aroostook County is closer to the path of totality with about 29%of the sun being eclipsed.

Experts say Maine is really the only place in the contiguous United States where this eclipse will be visible.

Totality for this eclipse will be in Spain.

If you don’t have a way to watch safely at home you can get a close look at the eclipse for free at the Versant Astronomy Center at UMaine.

“If you do not have a telescope or eclipse glasses you might not feel any difference from any other day,” said Nikita Saini, UMaine Department of Physics and Astronomy. “The huge difference for people in Maine is that we will not get another solar eclipse until 2045, that’s the next time we’ll see even a partial eclipse, and the next full solar eclipse is not until 2079.”

The UMaine viewing event runs 12:30-2:30 p.m., with a show about the solar system starting at 2 p.m.

Eclipse glasses will be available for $3.

Maine will reach its most dramatic views at 1:53 p.m.

WABI will have a livestream of of the partial solar eclipse on our website.

There will also be a partial lunar eclipse with over 90% totality visible here later this month.