By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

OBSERVATORY HILL — It’s not uncommon for people to gather at the Allegheny Observatory to catch glimpses of stars, moons or planets, but the crowd that gathered on April 8 was much larger than usual.

That’s because, rather than using the sophisticated telescopes of the observatory, the attendees were able to gaze upon this celestial event with their own eyes… with the help of some specialized glasses, that is.

Dozens of people from the Northside and beyond flocked to the Allegheny Observatory to catch a view of the solar eclipse that was making its way through the United States, an event that drew millions nationwide to turn their eyes upwards. While Pittsburgh was not in the path of totality, the city got pretty close, with 97% of the sun getting blocked by the moon.

Those watching through eclipse glasses — which protect the user’s eyes from solar rays — the sun appeared like a crescent moon. Even without the glasses on, the light became notably dimmer in the city, even though it was the middle of the afternoon.

To say the phenomenon was an exhilarating experience for those in attendance would perhaps be an understatement.

“It’s exciting,” said David Ballinger, a Brighton Heights resident. “I’ve never photographed an eclipse before. I’ve never seen one actually.”

Ballinger had an elaborate camera set up to take pictures of the eclipse, with a 600mm lens aimed right at the sun with a filter over the lens, the same kind of filter used by eclipse glasses.

Attendees at Allegheny Observatory’s solar eclipse party turn their gazes skyward in order to view the celestial event with the help of protective glasses. Eclipse glasses were handed out by Pittsburgh Park Rangers, though supplies did not last long. Photo by Sean P. Ray

Meanwhile, David’s mother Janice Ballinger was enjoying the eclipse just with a pair of eclipse glasses, with ones a little more unique than most were wearing at the Observatory.

Janice was using the eclipse glasses she got from the total solar eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017.

“I kept them because I knew this was coming,” Janice said.

Pittsburgh Park Rangers were handing out eclipse glasses at the Allegheny Observatory, but ran out relatively early in the event. Attendees were able to donate their glasses back to allow others to use them, but they were out of stock more often than not.

Janice expressed relief on the good viewing weather in Pittsburgh.

“We were a little disappointed when we saw the clouds roll in, but it looks like it might clear up,” she said.

Jack Jandro, a Swissvale resident, prepared well in advance for the eclipse, saying that he ordered his eclipse glasses back in January.

“It was kind of wishful thinking at the time, but it worked out,” Jandro said.

It was his second time seeing an eclipse, though he said the first one he saw was a “not-so-good-one,” not comparable to the view he got this year.

Sharon Parker, an Allegheny City Central resident, said she couldn’t “stop watching” the eclipse. It was her first time ever seeing one, and she had also taken the day off from work to view it.

“I think more so curiosity,” Parker said on what drove her to come out and see the eclipse. “I just want to see it.”

It wasn’t just locals who were present at the viewing party. Darryl Marr was another eclipse viewer at the event. Hailing from San Francisco, he was visiting Pittsburgh for work reasons and was lucky to be in town for the eclipse. His native state was nowhere near the path of totality, and he would have seen a much lesser partial eclipse compared to Pittsburgh.

The apex of the partial solar eclipse visible in Pittsburgh on April 8. The sun was 97% obscured in the Steel City, close to a total eclipse. Photo by Sean P. Ray

“I thought it was cool, I just thought it would be darker,” Marr said. “But I guess with 97%, you only need 3% to keep everything all lit.”

Marr noted that the eclipse did not look as clear when he tried viewing it through his phone with the eclipse glasses over the lens, making it an event which was better in-person than trying to view digitally. It also got him thinking on different perspectives of viewing the celestial event.

“I wonder what it’s like watching from those airplanes,” he wondered.

Upcoming eclipses

If you missed this eclipse and are eager for the next total solar eclipse, you’re going to be waiting a long time. The next total solar eclipse to hit the United States won’t be until March 30, 2033, and will only be viewable from Alaska.

The next one to hit the main body of the US will be in 2044, the path of totality passing over Montana, as well as North and South Dakota. There will be another eclipse the following year in 2045 which will run all the way from northern California to down across the southern states, exiting the country over Florida.

For those willing to travel, the next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 12, 2026, and the path of totality will pass over Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain.