ORANGE PARK – Northeast Florida rarely gets to see a solar eclipse – albeit with protected glasses – so St. Johns River College and the Orange Park Mall are making the most of the occasion.

The college will host a viewing party on Monday, April 8, while nine retailers at the mall are providing two special viewing glasses. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. It’s expected to start at 1:47 p.m. and reach its maximum coverage at 3:04 p.m.

SJR State College will also offer the first 200 guests free viewing glasses. The party will be in the courtyard next to its College Drive campus library. A properly outfitted telescope, eclipse chalk art, and a photo with an eclipse-themed backdrop will be available for a closer look.

Eclipse viewing glasses are available now at the campus library’s circulation desk. They were provided by the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries program.

The college encourages everyone to register with NASA to receive solar eclipse resources from NASA for free.

Although the eclipse will be 70% partial in Florida, scientists still warn you should only look directly at the eclipse through solar eclipse viewing glasses or a properly filtered telescope. If you don’t have access to solar eclipse viewing glasses or a properly filtered telescope, use an indirect projection measure to view the eclipse. You can build your own.

You can even use a colander or an index card with a hole punched to view the eclipse. With the Sun behind you, sunlight passes through the colander or index card and a solar image projects onto a nearby surface. For example, another card, a wall or the ground. Do not look at the Sun through the colander or card. Keep the Sun behind you.

Why is it unsafe to look at the Sun even when only a small part is visible?

According to NASA, “The rods and cones in the human retina are very sensitive to light. Normally, during daylight conditions, the iris contracts so that only a small, safe amount of light passes through the lens and then reaches the retina. However, the Sun’s surface is so bright that even a thin sliver of its light can still damage the eye if you look directly at it. When exposed to direct sunlight, retinal cells will become damaged, sometimes permanently. This can happen even after a quick glance at the Sun, so it is very important to never look at the Sun directly. To look at the Sun, use solar viewing glasses or a property-equipped telescope.”

Commercial sunglasses will not be sufficient. Eye damage is likely to occur unless specifically designated eclipse glasses are worn. 

“Regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun,” even during an eclipse, NASA said.

NASA also warned against watching the eclipse through your phone or camera viewfinder. “Do not look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer – the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury,” NASA said.

The Orange Park Mall wants to protect the vision of its patrons by providing free viewing glasses. They are available at Artsy Abode, Auntie Anne’s, Books-A-Million, Buckle, Elegant Jewelers, Kay Jewelers, rue21, Sarku Japan and TGI Fridays.

“We are thrilled to provide our community with the opportunity to safely experience the upcoming partial eclipse,” said Randy Bowman, General Manager at Orange Park Mall. “The safety of our patrons is paramount, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of this offer and pick up their free Solar Eclipse Glasses.”