ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Skygazers hoping to catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse this afternoon were welcomed to RMSC for an eclipse viewing party.
A few volunteers were set up around the Science Center and Planetarium with specialized telescopes for different types of eclipse viewing.
Eclipse glasses were also available, and the big eclipse glasses from 2024 made a comeback.
The eclipse was visible for a bit, but clouds and eventually rain took over before peak coverage. Some watchers were upset, but many were still in good spirits.
Dick Scheid’s view of the partial eclipse from Bellagio Southpoint Marina Irondequoit Bay.
“Rain, rain go away!” was the sentiment from Grant Cooper-Marsh, as he laughed.
Dave Everhart is originally from Greece, but now lives in Los Angeles. He says, “We did try to come back for the one in 2024, and we got all clouds for that. It’s disappointing that this seems to happen a bunch, with all the eclipses here.”
His son, Liam Everhart, remarks, “It was still cool seeing the sun from, like, the telescope.”
Robyn Ottaviano sent this photo in from Medina, New York.
Jim Bader, Director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium, says, “Honestly, we got the perfect taste of Rochester. Let us experience it a little bit, and then give us that classic rain and clouds that we’re so used to. It gave you the same amount that you probably would have seen had we gotten to the 9 percent.”
Inside the Planetarium, some folks watched the livestream of the eclipse from Spain.
If you’d like to see more of what our peak coverage would have looked like, or what totality looks like, the Planetarium will be recapping those views this weekend.
Two years after clouds obscured Rochester’s highly anticipated total solar eclipse, one of the people who helped prepare the region for the historic event got another shot at totality — this time in Iceland.
RMSC’s Dan Schneiderman sent in these photos of his views!
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.