When the moon eclipses the sun, it’s a celestial rarity. But when clouds blot out the eclipse, it’s a bummer.
That’s the thing about astronomical phenomena like the partial solar eclipse expected Monday afternoon over Maryland. We’re at the liberty of the heavens.
Maryland falls just outside of the eclipse’s path of totality, meaning the state will only see 80%-90% of the sun blocked by the moon.
The moon will first start to block the sun at 2:05 p.m. over Baltimore and it is is expected to reach peak coverage at 3:21 p.m. At 4:33, the moon will no longer block any part of the sun. The total transit of the moon over the sun will last about two and a half hours.
National Weather Service forecasters expect cloud coverage around the same time. Some mid- and high-level clouds could pose an issue for those trying to view the event.
Garrett County is facing the highest percent coverage of the sun. Forecasters said the most likely chance of being able to actually see the sun around 3:00 this afternoon will be along or east of I-95.
Baltimore Banner reporter Cody Boteler contributed to this story.
