Displaying items by tag: Wild Birds Unlimited, Prestwick Chase, Nancy Castillo, solar eclipse

Front photo was taken Monday, Aug. 21 at 2:41 p.m., when the eclipse reached its (local) peak of 66 percent, in the Winner’s Circle at the Saratoga Race Course. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos. Gallery photos were taken by Nancy Castillo of Wild Birds Unlimited; and a scene with staff and residents at the Prestwick Chase senior living community on Saratoga Boulevard, who had an Eclipse 2017 party outside at the pavilion.The community and guests were treated to decorations, live music, fun food and snacks, including moon pies and rocket ice pops. Photo provided. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Multitudes of locals stopped whatever they were doing Monday afternoon to observe or photograph the partial eclipse over upstate New York.

Nancy Castillo, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited shop in Wilton, explained that she had captured a series of images of the eclipse at home with her smartphone, using a spotting scope fitted with a solar filter.

Castillo then shared the pictures on social media for the benefit of people who were unable to see the eclipse.

“We have lots of customers that, maybe, weren’t able to get out there,” she said.

Castillo added that Wild Birds Unlimited is accepting donations of special eclipse glasses as a means to benefit school children in Asian and South American countries ahead of a 2019 solar eclipse that will be viewable there. The group Astronomers Without Borders is leading that effort.    

People in upstate New York will be able to observe a 98 percent “totality” solar eclipse in April 2024, according to Castillo.

The residents of Carbondale, Illinois have the good fortune of enjoying 100 percent “totality” in both 2017 and 2024 because of their geographic location, she reported.

“It’s pretty cool,” Castillo said.

For more information, visit the website www.saratogasprings.wbu.com.