Eclipse 2024 will bring a partial solar eclipse to Maine on Wednesday afternoon, and Nikita Saini said the state will not see another one like it until 2045. In Bangor, the moon will cover about 24% of the sun at its peak, while Portland will see a smaller bite.
“Nineteen years is a long time,” said Saini, a doctoral student at the University of Maine’s Versant Power Astronomy Center. She added: “If you’re a kid right now, there’s a good chance that you’ll have kids of your own before the next partial solar eclipse comes to Maine. So if you are here in Maine now, and if you are getting this opportunity, just go out and take a look.”
Bangor and Portland timings
The eclipse will begin just before 1 p.m. and peak at about 1:53 p.m. In Bangor, it will start at 12:54 p.m., reach maximum coverage at 1:53 p.m. and end at about 2:49 p.m. The event will last about two hours, giving viewers a short window to compare how the moon covers the sun at different locations across Maine.
That difference comes from the way the moon crosses in front of the sun without lining up perfectly with Earth and the sun. A partial solar eclipse happens when that alignment stays incomplete, so some places sit deeper in the shadow than others. The path of totality for this eclipse runs across Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while Maine stays in the partial zone.
UMaine astronomy center
The UMaine astronomy center will host a viewing party from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors will be able to look through the Clark Telescope, which has a professional solar filter, and the center will be open to the public during that window. The 2024 total eclipse drew thousands to watch from the path of totality, and leftover eclipse glasses from that event can still be used if they are unscratched.
Saini and Shawn Laatsch also pointed to the safety risk. It is never safe to look at the sun without specialized eye protection, and regular sunglasses cannot protect retinas from permanent damage. Eclipse glasses that meet international safety standards are the proper choice for direct viewing, while a kitchen colander or crossed fingers can project the eclipse onto the ground for a safer look. If the sky cooperates on Wednesday afternoon, Maine viewers have one local chance that will not come again for 19 years.
