How to Experience “The Great American Eclipse” Right Here in Dayton!

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Thanks to TimeandDate.com for all this awesome information about the upcoming solar eclipse! Check them out for even more great images and videos, plus some incredible history. 


On August 21st “The Great American Eclipse” will be taking place and we’ll be lucky enough to see this phenomenon right here in the Dayton area. Here, at Dayton Moms Blog, we want you to be prepared to participate! While we are not in the perfect position to see the eclipse in its totality, we will be able to see it partially.

So what exactly is a solar eclipse? A total solar eclipse is where the New Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and casts the darkest part of its shadow, the umbra, on Earth. A full solar eclipse, known as totality, is almost as dark as night. Since we are in an area of the country where we will only be able to see what is considered a partial solar eclipse, the entire sun won’t’s be covered and so we won’t experience the “dark as night” phenomenon that a lucky few will get to see. But that doesn’t mean our view isn’t worth looking at, so be sure to get out there if you can!

Now that we know more about the science behind this event, how can we see it and see it safely? It is never a clever idea to look directly at the sun whether it’s eclipsed or not. The sun’s UV radiation is extremely dangerous to the naked eye and can cause permanent damage or blindness. The best way to watch an eclipse is by using special eclipse glasses/equipment or make your own pinhole camera at home. By using simple supplies, you likely have around the house you can make yourself a tool to safely view the eclipse. To make your own pinhole camera check out these simple instructions from NASA HERE.

When can you see the solar eclipse? Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge and safety of solar eclipses you’re ready to get down to it! According to TimeandDate.com, the best time to view the eclipse here in Dayton is at 2:28pm on August 21st, which is when the eclipse can be seen at its maximum.

Here in the Dayton area, many of our school aged children will likely be finishing up their school day or on their way home when the peak viewing times begin. As a surprise have the viewing equipment you’ve picked up or made ready to go as soon as they are home and tell them you’re having a little eclipse viewing party. You can easily whip up some space themed snacks available to them as you check out what’s happening in the skies above like crescent moon shaped sandwiches, space rocket skewers made of fruit, or some green galactic juice. Another fun activity would also be to check out your local library in the days leading up to or after the event for you and your kiddos to take a look at some books about solar eclipses. Be sure to find books that are geared towards their age levels so they can get a better understanding and more detailed visual on what they just saw. 

To learn more about the eclipse, its stages, and what we’ll be able to see right here in Dayton, check out TimeandDate.com!

We hope you found this information useful and that you feel more prepared to check out this nationwide event in the coming weeks. We’d love to hear how your eclipse viewing goes afterward, so please don’t be afraid to come back to this post and comment about your experience.

Stay safe and enjoy the eclipse, we won’t have our next chance to view one here in the area until sometime in 2024!


Steffen Thorsen. “Different Types of Eclipses”.  TimeandDate.com.