Great Northern American Eclipse
Potsdam, N.Y. is in the direct path of the 2024 total solar eclipse, which will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024.
SUNY Potsdam will mark this once-in-a-lifetime event with special educational activities for campus and community!
The eclipse will last over 2 hours but totality will be 3 minutes and 14 seconds over Potsdam… and we want our students, faculty, staff, alumni and neighbors to enjoy it with us!
You won’t want to miss this incredible experience… the next total solar eclipse that will be visible in New York State won’t take place for another 120 years.
April 8, 2024 – Eclipse Viewing
- As the moon’s path begins to block the sun, the partial eclipse will begin at approximately 2:11 p.m.
- The total eclipse will begin at 3:24 p.m. and end at 3:27 p.m. This is your chance to take off your eclipse viewing glasses!
- As the moon’s shadow begins to depart, the partial eclipse will end at approximately 4:35 p.m.
Visitors
- Free visitor parking is available in Lots 22, 26 or 31. See the activity map (PDF) for locations.
- Restrooms are noted on the activity map.
- Limited seating will be available in both eclipse viewing locations on a first come, first served basis. If you wish to ensure that you have a seat, we recommend bringing along a portable lawn chair and any other items you may need to stay comfortable outdoors.
- Campus housing for eclipse guests is now closed. If you have any questions about your reservations, please contact Residence Life at reslife@potsdam.edu.
Giveaways & Gear
Free solar eclipse viewing glasses will be available for everyone! SUNY Potsdam also has fun free giveaways planned, like frisbees, vinyl stickers and more prizes for guests.
The College Store has special T-shirts available for sale to commemorate the eclipse. The shirts will be available in the store in the Barrington Student Union and at the concession stand in Marshall Park.
A Celestial Celebration
Totality at SUNY Potsdam - April 8, 2024
1:30 - 2 p.m.
All are welcome to pick up free solar eclipse glasses at either Marshall Park or Minerva Plaza.
2 - 3 p.m.
You choose! Explore space themed-activities across campus, and enter our drawings for fun prizes. Highlighted events are below.
3 - 3:30 p.m.
Experience the eclipse! Totality will begin at approximately 3:24 p.m., lasting 3 minutes and 14 seconds. Viewing locations:
- Marshall Park Bandshell: Narrated viewing experience with music and games
- Academic Quad: Quiet viewing experience, with NASA livestream
3:30 - 4 p.m.
Last chance to check out any activities you missed! Drawing winners will be announced at the bandshell. As the moon’s shadow begins to depart, the partial eclipse will end at approximately 4:35 p.m.
Good to Know:
Always use approved eclipse viewing glasses! The only time you can safely remove your glasses and look at the sun without damaging your eyesight is during full totality (approximately 3:24 to 3:27 p.m.). Don’t look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope or binoculars—even if you have eclipse glasses on. You’ll need to use an approved filter over your lens.
If it rains, the NASA livestream screening will be moved indoors to the Barrington Student Union Multi-Purpose Room. Most other events will continue, rain or shine! If it is cloudy, we will still keep watching. The sky will darken completely at totality, no matter what!
Event highlights include space-themed art projects, eclipse music, an eclipse history outdoor exhibit, a time capsule and a large-scale model of the solar system!
SUNY Potsdam student clubs and organizations will also get in on the fun, including space Lego building with the Anthropology Club, astral art with the Environmental Club, making a galaxy tote with SOCA LOCA, an a cappella performance by the A Sharp Arrangement, and an eclipse book sale with the History Association.
Choose from science activities/demonstrations like:
- Totality in the Planetarium
- WISER Center in Space
- How Eclipses Work
- How Scientists Study the Composition of Other Planets
- Imaging and Mapping Space Exhibit
- Planetary Geology and Water Flow Demonstration
- Building Platonic Solids Demonstration
- Exochemistry: Making Materials in Space
- Google Moon and Mars
- Animals and the Eclipse
- Sleeping Soybeans
- Space for Food at the HEARTH