Total solar eclipse comes to Sandusky area one year from today

SANDUSKY — One year from now, Sandusky and its surrounding areas will experience a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be on April 8, 2024 — one year to the day from Saturday — and is due to pass directly over north-central Ohio. Darieon Brown tests out his solar glasses before the partial solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 at a special event at the Sidney Frohman Planetarium in Sandusky High School. Next year, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse is due to pass over the Sandusky area. Register file photo A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, thereby obscuring the view of the sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. A total eclipse is when the moon completely blocks the sun from view. Ohio — and, more specifically, the north-central lakeshore region — appears to be at the epicenter of where the eclipse will be visible for the longest amount of time in the U.S. The eclipse will be visible to those in the central and midwest regions along with parts of Pennsylvania, New York, the upper New England region and parts of lower Canada. What is a total solar eclipse? Andrew Layden, a professor and chair of Bowling Green State University's physics and astronomy department, describes this rare phenomenon as a "weird yet exciting experience." The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, will last about 2.5 hours from start to finish, and Sandusky is expected to experience 3 min and 45 seconds of outstanding views — this part of the eclipse is called the totality. "During this time, the moon completely blocks the bright surface of the sun, and you can look at it directly and see the softly glowing solar corona around the pitch-black circle of the moon," Layden said. "During and just before/after totality, the sky gets dark. Streetlights may turn on, and birds and creatures start going to sleep. Things take on an odd hue as the light dims," Layden said. Layden and other local officials advise sightseers to invest in proper eye protection when viewing the eclipse, as it can cause serious damage to one's vision. Once the moon completely blocks the surface of the sun, people can then safely view it without glasses. Jan Wittry, news chief at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, said solar eclipses occur about every 18 months worldwide, but most happen in a limited viewing area — meaning most of the world's population cannot view them in person. That makes Ohio's chance to view a total solar eclipse a rare event. "The path of totality for this eclipse will move from just north of Cincinnati, over Dayton and Springfield and Lima, barely over Toledo and just north of Columbus before crossing directly over Lorain, Akron and Cleveland," Wittry said. Thousands of tourists expected Shores & Islands Ohio has launched a webpage with a countdown clock to the eclipse and other relevant information about next year's event. The site, shoresandislands.com/solar-eclipse, provides details on the area's solar eclipse-related events and promotions and the full list of totality start times and duration based on their location. Local efforts to promote the solar eclipse are being spearheaded by a number of organizations, including Shores & Islands Ohio, Bowling Green State University, Ohio Emergency Management Agency and the NASA Public Affairs Team. Shores & Islands Ohio director of sales and marketing Chris Lewis said that the region should expect a big influx of visitors for the event. The total estimated number of visitors coming to Ohio to view the eclipse is between 139,000 and 556,000 with a high percentage of those coming to the Shores & Islands Ohio region. Eclipse times, events More than a year in advance, a number of local organizations are already planning events for the historic eclipse. Events are taking place across the four-county region and include music, food, learning opportunities and, of course, eclipse viewing parties. Here's a list of what's scheduled. For more details on each event, visit shoresandislands.com/solar-eclipse/. 1. (April 4, 2024 – Dec. 31) Special exhibit "Chasing Totality: The History and Sciences of Eclipses" — Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Spiegel Grove, Fremont, OH 434202. (April 5-8) Total Eclipse of Sandusky Festival — Jackson Street Pier, 233 W. Shoreline Drive, Sandusky, 3. (April 6) Solar Eclipse Weekend — Osborn MetroPark Run, 3910 Perkins Ave., Huron4. (April 6) Moon Over Main Street — Main Street Norwalk, East Main Street, Norwalk5. (April 8) 2024 Solar Eclipse Watch Party, 2025 Munroe Falls Ave, Cuyahoga Falls6. (April 8) Gotta Getaway RV Park 2024 Solar Eclipse, 4888 US-20, Bellevue7. (April 8) Solar Eclipse in Lakeside Chautauqua, 236 Walnut Ave., Marblehead8. (April 8) Watch from the Water — Jet Express Eclipse Excursion, 3 Monroe St., Port Clinton9. (April 8) A Monumental Eclipse — Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, 93 Delaware Ave., Put-In-Bay10. (April 8) Eclipse Viewing Party at Kalahari — Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, 7000 Kalahari Drive, Sandusky11. (April 8) Totally Eclipse HURON — Huron Boat Basin, 330 Main St., Huron12. (April 8) Solar Eclipse Event Registration — Shores & Islands Ohio Welcome Center – West, 770 S.E. Catawba Rd. (Ohio 53) Port Clinton This chart shows the times the solar eclipse will pass over different parts of Ohio on April 8, 2024. Provided graphic/SHORES & ISLANDS OHIO