I n downtown New Haven, Monday’s solar eclipse—where the moon progressively blocks, then reveals, the sun’s direct light—begins at 2:12 p.m. and finishes at 4:37, peaking at 3:27 with 90.74% “coverage.” The experience, which comes with both a safety warning and a FOMO warning, is sure to inspire astonishment, sublimity, humility and primal terror.
Sounds fun, right? Here are some ways to celebrate:
• Order your eggs sunny side down at Bella’s, Cody’s, Fussy, Heirloom, Manjares, The Pantry, Patricia’s, The Place 2 Be, Poppy’s, Zoi’s.
• Circle up at Toad’s Place for its next Blacklight Glow Party, or catch the band Veiled Eyes at Stella Blues.
• Book the escape room “Before Moonrise” at Escape New Haven. “While hiking through the woods, you and your companions are beset by a sudden storm. Taking shelter in an abandoned cabin, for a moment you enjoy the illusion of safety. But outside, the storm grows in strength, and the full moon begins to rise…”
• Try the Sun ’n’ Moon cocktail and the Full Moon Party entree for two at September in Bangkok, then get the La-Moon as a nightcap at September’s celestial sister, NOA.
• Or sip an Edge of Darkness dark lager at Armada Brewing, who’ve branded it using solar eclipse imagery.
• View a lunar event that will never happen again: a 1991 appearance at The Moon by a band whose name translates as “‘blowing out’ or ‘becoming extinguished,’ as when a flame is blown out or a fire burns out.”
• During the eclipse itself, watch time fade at the Edgewood Park or SCSU sundials.
• Better yet, head to Yale’s Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium, where eclipse viewings start when the eclipse does, on Monday at 2:12 p.m. Some things to know: “A limited number of eclipse glasses will be supplied, so it is best to plan on bringing your own—just be sure they are safe to use. Keep in mind that it is never safe to look at the Sun during a partial eclipse without proper protection. The parking lot at LFOP requires a permit during the day and is currently under construction, so please plan ahead. Indoor restrooms will not be available, nor will seating be provided. Lines to view the eclipse through a telescope or sunspotter may be long, so we suggest bringing your own pinhole projector in addition to eclipse glasses.”
Written by Dan Mims. Image—which doesn’t depict a real eclipse—from Shutterstock.
