A solar event is taking over New York City skies today, Wednesday, August 12, 2026. While viewers in parts of Europe will witness a total eclipse, New Yorkers will experience a striking partial solar eclipse, where the Moon will obscure a significant portion of the Sun, making it look crescent-shaped.
Because NYC will only see a partial eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized protection—and standard sunglasses or polarization filters will not protect your eyes.
Retinal damage from solar rays can happen in seconds without any initial pain.
If ISO-certified eclipse glasses are sold out across the five boroughs, don’t worry–here’s a full breakdown on exact local times, last-minute glasses pickups in NYC, and five expert-approved DIY methods to view the phenomenon safely.
🕒 Exact NYC Solar Eclipse Timings Today
- 🌞 1:07 pm: Partial Eclipse Begins | The Moon first begins to pass in front of the Sun
- 🌙 2:18 pm: Maximum Coverage | The peak moment—the Moon reaches its deepest coverage over NYC
- 🌕 3:24 pm: Partial Eclipse Ends | The Moon completely clears the Sun’s disk
Pro tip: Set a reminder for 2 pm to step outside and get set up before maximum coverage at 2:18 pm.
👓 Where To Pick Up Eclipse Glasses in NYC Today (Last-Minute Outlets)
If you still want direct viewing glasses before the afternoon peak, try these NYC spots:
- New York Public Library (NYPL): Select branches across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens often distribute free ISO 12312-2 certified glasses on eclipse day on a first-come, first-served basis
- Moynihan Train Hall & Penn Station Newsstands: Major transit hubs frequently carry stock at retail kiosks like Hudson News
- Warby Parker Stores: Nearby locations across NYC frequently hand out free, safety-tested solar viewers leading up to major astronomical events
- Science Museums: The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) shop and the New York Hall of Science in Queens stock certified glasses
5 Safe Ways to Watch the Eclipse Indirectly Without Glasses
1. The Two-Card Pinhole Projector
You don’t need fancy equipment—just two pieces of white paper or stiff cardstock and a thumbtack.
- Take one sheet of paper and pierce a tiny, round hole right in the center using a pin, needle, or pen tip (A smaller, smoother hole yields a sharper image}
- Turn your back completely toward the Sun
- Hold the punctured card up so sunlight passes straight through the hole
- Position the second sheet of paper in front of you (on the ground or held in your hand) to act as a projection screen. You’ll see a crisp, crescent-shaped shadow of the Sun projected onto the paper
2. The Kitchen Colander Trick
Your kitchen colander isn’t just for straining pasta–it also doubles up as a multi-projection display!
- Grab a stainless steel or plastic colander from your kitchen
- Stand with your back to the Sun and hold the colander above the ground or a light-colored pavement
- As light filters through the mesh openings, each tiny hole acts as a individual pinhole lens—projecting dozens of crescent-shaped Suns onto the floor all at once
3. Build a Dark Box Viewer (Cereal Box Projector)
For a clearer, higher-contrast image, take 10 minutes to craft a box projector using an empty cereal box or shoe box.
- Tape a piece of white paper flat onto the interior bottom of the box to serve as your viewing screen
- Cut two square openings on the top lid of the box (one on the left, one on the right)
- Cover one of the openings with aluminum foil, smooth it flat, tape it down, and poke a tiny hole in the center with a pin. Leave the second opening uncovered—this is your eye hole
- Stand with your back to the Sun, align the foil side toward the sunlight, and look into the viewing hole. You’ll see a bright, reversed image of the partial eclipse projected safely inside the darkened box
4. Tree Canopy Shadow Projections
If you’re spending the afternoon in Central Park, Prospect Park, or a leafy NYC neighborhood, nature does the work for you.
Walk underneath a dense tree canopy during peak eclipse hours (around 2:18 pm). The tiny gaps between overlapping leaves function as natural pinhole lenses. Look down at the sidewalk or ground—you will see hundreds of tiny crescent light patterns dappling the pavement.
5. Tune In to Official Livestreams
If local cloud cover rolls into the tri-state area—or if you prefer staying in the air conditioning—watching an expert stream offers crystal-clear coverage without any eye safety risks.
- Monatuk / East Coast Observatories: Local astronomy groups across the Northeast will stream filtered telescope views with real-time astronomical commentary
- NASA TV & YouTube Channel: Broadcasting high-definition feeds from solar telescopes along the path of total eclipse