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Where to go for the solar eclipse and what to expect in Central Pa.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Central Pennsylvania may not be in the direct path of the total solar eclipse, but people here will still notice a partial one, with abo...

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Central Pennsylvania may not be in the direct path of the total solar eclipse, but people here will still notice a partial one, with about 70 percent of the sun covered by the moon.

Dr. Bill Kreiger, professor of Earth Sciences and Science Education at York College, said, "It's still going to look like somebody put a cloud over the sun. It's still going to be, it's hazy you're going to look around and say, 'It's hazy here what's happening?' And it's going to be kind of a twilight kind of thing."

Kreiger said solar eclipses in general are not rare, but they are rare at a specific location on Earth. That's because there's only a narrow path of totality on Earth where people can see one.

"Wow, and it's here in this country where there's more people. Now if it was in the middle of the Amazon or something like that, how are you going to get there?" he said.

Places like Gettysburg National Military Park are allowing visitors to come out and view the eclipse and are giving out a limited supply of solar eclipse glasses.

Angie Atkinson, a supervisory park ranger at the park, said, "To have this opportunity to be standing on these fields where events happened 154 years ago, and now in 2017 to experience this very unique, natural event is just awesome."

People can head to the Visitor Center by the Abraham Lincoln statute and at the High Water Mark (auto tour stop 15) to watch.

Kreiger said if you go to places in the U.S. where there will be a total solar eclipse, you will notice some changes.

"Insects will stop whatever they're doing, crickets you won't hear them, birds will stop chirping, you know cows will go crazy in the pastures and things like that because it's not time for night yet," he said.

Kreiger said if you don't have those special glasses to look at the sun, you can use welding glass like this piece here. You can hold it up to your face and see the sun through them. He said you can find them at a home improvement store, but make sure to get shade 14 or higher.

 

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