New York City
New York City may not be in the path of totality, but it is the place we call home. The Big Apple will get 90 percent totality on April 8 and, given the Simons Foundation’s commitment to supporting research and public engagement in our beloved hometown, we knew it was important to support eclipse celebrations here.
Life in New York can be hectic. We’re absorbed in our day-to-day routines, and it’s rare that we’re afforded opportunities to slow down and look up at the cosmos. On April 8, 2024, we’ll be able to do just that.
We see this as another way to strengthen our ever-growing community of scientists and collaborators here in New York. By leveraging existing partnerships and creating brand new ones, we’re working to ensure that people all across the five boroughs can celebrate the eclipse in a multitude of ways.
After all, 90 percent is better than nothing.
Simons Foundation Presents: Totality
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will traverse the United States. The sight of our moon aligning with the sun, casting a shadow upon the Earth and plunging those in the path of totality into temporary darkness is an unforgettable one. Drawing from the world of science and history, we will discuss the totality experience from different perspectives. Read more
The conversation will feature cosmologist and Simons Foundation scientist Shirley Ho, science writer and eclipse chaser David Baron, and astrophysicist Sóley Hyman.
Raja Feather Kelly/the feath3r theory: “The Absolute Future”
Choreographed, written and directed by Raja Feather Kelly, the feath3r theory (TF3T)’s “The Absolute Future (or Death, Loneliness, and the Absolute Future of the Multiverse, or How to Cover the Sun with Mud)” is a devised danced-theater performance about a group of friends who attempt to watch the Great American Eclipse on April 8, 2024, and miss it. A constellation of shadows comes together in a daring mix of fiction, reality, fantasy and surrealism. Read more
Founded in 2009, the feath3r theory (TF3T) was inspired by Raja Feather Kelly’s interest in the life and work of Andy Warhol. The numeral 3 in TF3T speaks to the equal importance of dance, theater and media in the work. In 2013, influenced by his research into Warhol’s life and ideas, Kelly expanded his company of dancers and designers to self-produce TF3T’s first evening-length production, Andy Warhol’s “DRELLA (I love you Faye Driscoll),” at the Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn. The ensemble’s many awards include a 2018 – 2020 HERE Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Solange MacArthur Award for New Choreography and a 2017 Princess Grace Award for Choreography.
Shows will take place on April 5 and April 6, 2024.
Solar Viewings at Madison Square Park
In the lead-up to the eclipse’s crossing North America on April 8, the Madison Square Park Conservancy and the Simons Foundation are hosting weekly solar viewings in Madison Square Park. The viewings will take place every Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m., weather permitting. Park-goers will have the opportunity to look through solar telescopes and chat with scientists and staff from the Simons Foundation about the sun and astronomy.
Solar Eclipse 2024: Presented by Pioneer Works, Green-Wood and the Amateur Astronomers Association
Gather on the grounds of Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery for an afternoon of eclipse viewing, with special-edition glasses and telescopes with solar filters, as well as music, hands-on activities and self-guided tours. Read more
The cemetery is the ideal setting for eclipse watchers. It is the final resting place of some noteworthy astronomy enthusiasts: writer and astronomer Richard Anthony Proctor; inventor, author, scientist and philosopher John William Draper; and his son, physician and amateur astronomer Henry Draper. Special-edition eclipse viewing glasses will be available on a first-come basis. You are welcome to bring a blanket or something comfortable to sit on. This event is free with RSVP. There is no on-site parking.
Eclipse Day at NYSCI
On April 8, 2024, the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) will welcome the public and visitors from around New York City to celebrate the solar eclipse and engage in activities as part of NYSCI’s Eclipse Day event. Read more
Activities will include a NYSCI Eclipse Day Watch Party from 2 to 5 p.m. featuring hands-on activities, food vendors and a live set from an award-winning DJ. Participants will have opportunities to engage in a series of interactive activities designed to inspire curiosity and understanding about how and when solar eclipses occur and how to safely observe them. Attendees will even get to design their own eclipse art based on what they learn.
To ensure accessibility, NYSCI is providing free tickets for approximately 600 Corona students and their families as part of a STEAM Family Day. The organization is also offering 200 additional free tickets through the Department of Education’s STEM Department for their STEM Expo participants and family members. NYSCI has also created a Neighborhood Family Pass to provide subsidized tickets for local families to participate in the event.
Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Party
On Monday, April 8, New York City will witness a partial solar eclipse. The Flatiron NoMad Partnership and the Simons Foundation invite the local community to attend a Partial Eclipse Viewing Party on the Flatiron North Plaza from 12 to 3:30 p.m. on the day of the eclipse. Festivities will include a variety of science and family-friendly activities, including hands-on eclipse experiments led by the National Museum of Mathematics and solar viewings with scientists and staff from the Simons Foundation. This event is free and open to the public.