A once-in-a-lifetime sight

Many people gathered to watch the total solar eclipse at Jackson Street Pier in downtown Sandusky on Monday, April 8, 2024. Register photo/ANDY OURIEL What a truly special day Monday was for our community. The Sandusky area was in the direct path of a total solar eclipse for the first and only time in many of our lifetimes. Scores of local residents and many more visitors descended all across our area to view the phenomenon. That included Sandusky's Jackson Street Pier. Hundreds of people were gathered at the pier to view the eclipse, some locals and others from all over the U.S. and the world. One walking through the large crowd could hear multiple different languages being spoken, and our reporters interviewed one family who came to Sandusky from Barcelona in Spain to watch the eclipse, a testament to the international interest the eclipse brought to our region. Dozens of people set up telescopes and, when totality finally began shortly before 3:15 p.m., the energy of the crowd was electric. Cheers erupted. People gasped and marveled at the sight of the darkened moon surrounded by a purplish hue. We're fortunate in this area that we did not have to leave our own backyards to witness such an event. Awesome views A composite image showing the various stages of the eclipse taken at Edison High School's football stadium in Milan Township on Monday, April 8, 2024. Register photos/ERIN CALDWELL We have to give big kudos to our staff of reporters at the Register, Norwalk Reflector and our other Ogden sister newspapers for their efforts to document Monday's eclipse. Much forethought and preparation went into the newspapers' coverage of the historic event, and hard work on Monday led to — in our humble opinion — some really great coverage in our Tuesday newspapers. We must, though, give special recognition to the Register's chief photographer, Erin Caldwell. Erin made meticulous preparations for Monday's eclipse, including attending a seminar on eclipse photography, purchasing a special camera filter, readying her camera setup and, undoubtedly, keeping a nervous eye on the weather forecast. The results of the pre-planning speak for themselves, as she took fantastic photos of the eclipse, including a composite image she put together showing the various stages of the moon passing over the sun. And if you couldn't get to the pier or another eclipse event on Monday, or just want to relive it, Erin also put together a short video from several events in Erie County and Ottawa County using footage shot by our reporter staff. You can find that video at the Register's YouTube channel or at sanduskyregister.com. Recycle your glasses Shores & Islands Ohio is offering recycling of solar eclipse glasses at its two locations in Erie and Ottawa counties. Provided photo/SHORES & ISLANDS OHIO If you still have your solar eclipse glasses sitting around, don't throw them in the trash. A number of local organizations are seeking to collect them, many with the intent of donating them to areas in South America, where a solar eclipse is set to pass over this October. Agencies collecting eclipse glasses include: • Bellevue Public Library, 224 E. Main St., Bellevue • Shores & Islands Ohio, 770 S.E. Catawba Rd., Port Clinton and 125 E. Water St., Sandusky • Sandusky VFW Post 2529, 604 W. Perkins Ave., Sandusky • Common Good Collective, 11 W. Main St., Norwalk • Bowling Green Schools, 1079 Fairview Ave., Bowling Green • McComb Public Library, 113 S. Todd St., McComb • Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, 206 Broadway St., Findlay • Kaubisch Memorial Public Library, 205 Perry St., Fostoria • Ada Public Library, 320 N. Main St., Ada