The occurrence of a solar eclipse is a rare event that happens every few years when the moon’s orbit aligns with the Earth’s orbit around the sun. In 2024, a solar eclipse passed over the majority of the United States, including Hampton Roads. If you missed the event, you wouldn’t have noticed anything unless you had the proper solar eclipse glasses and looked directly at the sun and moon.
In Hampton Roads, about 78% of the sun was blocked by the moon at 3:20 p.m., resulting in a partial solar eclipse locally. To experience the full effect of a solar eclipse, the moon must completely block the sun, creating total darkness in the middle of the afternoon, which only occurred under the path of totality. Unfortunately, this did not happen in Hampton Roads.
For those viewing a partial solar eclipse like in Hampton Roads, proper solar eclipse glasses are necessary for safe viewing. Another interesting way to experience a partial eclipse is by observing the silhouette of the phenomenon through
