Maine to See 24% Solar Eclipse Wednesday, Last Partial Until 2045

Q: With Maine's next partial eclipse decades away, what hidden celestial phenomena will viewers miss if they ignore today's 20% solar blackout?

If Mainers skip Wednesday’s modest 19% to 24% eclipse, they will mostly miss the subtle “partial-phase” effects that make even a small solar blackout scientifically and visually interesting. The easiest to spot are crescent-shaped projections of the sun in everyday shadows. Small gaps between tree leaves, a colander, or crossed fingers can act like pinhole cameras, casting dozens of tiny sun crescents on the ground instead of the usual round patches of light. UMaine astronomers have pointed to this as one of the safest and most distinctive ways to experience the event without looking directly at the sun. Through a properly filtered telescope, viewers may also catch sunspots on the solar disk, making the eclipse more than just a dark “bite” out of the sun. Shawn Laatsch of UMaine said magnified viewing at the Versant Power Astronomy Center could reveal those details. What Mainers will not get are the headline phenomena of totality, because Maine is far outside the path where the sun goes fully dark. That means no visible corona, no Baily’s beads, no diamond-ring effect, and likely no dramatic drop in temperature or sharp changes in wind and light. Those effects are reserved for places such as Greenland, Iceland and Spain under the total eclipse path. So the hidden payoff in Maine is not spectacle on the scale of 2024, but a rare chance to observe how the moon subtly reshapes sunlight and shadows — an opportunity that will not return to Maine until 2045.

1 articles · Updated · Press Herald · Aug 11

About a quarter of the sun will be obscured over Maine on Wednesday afternoon in a rare partial eclipse that will last nearly two hours.
Bangor’s eclipse starts at 12:54 p.m., peaks at 1:53 p.m. with about 24% coverage and ends around 2:49 p.m.; Portland will see a smaller 19% “bite.”
The event is Maine’s last partial solar eclipse until 2045, making it a notable chance for young sky watchers after the state’s heavily watched 2024 total eclipse.
Special eclipse glasses are required for direct viewing—regular sunglasses are unsafe—and UMaine’s astronomy center will host a free public viewing from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., with $3 glasses available.