On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America and all of Michigan will at least get to see a partial eclipse.
This is the last solar eclipse visible in the Contiguous United States until 2044. The path of totality is the area where people will be able to see the Moon completely cover the Sun. It’s about 100 miles wide.
The only place in Michigan located within the path of totality is Luna Pier in Monroe County. It’s right on the edge of the path of totality, so the total solar eclipse will only last 19 seconds there. In comparison, totality will last three minutes and 49 seconds in Cleveland, Ohio.
Luna Pier mayor Jim Gardner told Local 4′s Victor Williams said the town is not built to handle thousands of visitors. Gardner said the main bridge into the city was demolished last year and won’t be open again until later this summer. That means getting in and out of town will be a challenge. Gardner is urging people to go to Toledo, Ohio instead. The duration of totality will last one minute and 30 seconds in Toledo.
What if you’re somewhere, like Monroe, Michigan, where there will be 99.9% totality? Isn’t that good enough? Scientists say no, it’s not good enough and that the difference between 99.9% and 100% is basically day and night.
Places in the path of totality will see the sky become dark, as if it were dawn or dusk. People who only experience a partial solar eclipse will see the sky appear slightly darker than it was before, depending on their location.
Why isn’t 99.9% good enough?
Dr. Angela Speck with UTSA & AAS said that even seeing a solar eclipse at 99.9% totality is just not enough.
The Sun has an atmosphere known as the corona. It is always there, but because the Sun is so bright we can’t see it. On its own, the corona is about as bright as the full Moon. Even at 99.9% totality during a solar eclipse, the Sun gives off too much light for viewers to be able to really experience the corona.
“As the Sun is progressively blocked out, we start out having our pupils dilate, so we do not perceive a chance in darkness. About 1 hour into the partial eclipse, we start to notice the light change and it is about as dark as shade at midday. By about 70 minutes into the eclipse the sky is only as dark as an overcast day. In the next couple of minutes, we drop to 99% eclipses, 1% brightness, and then quickly to 1/1000 brightness. The drop from 99% to 100% happens in about 1 minute, much faster than sunset to nighttime. However, if you are outside the path of totality (even at 99.9% partial eclipse), it will NOT get dark.”
Dr. Angela Speck (UTSA)
Speck said that at 99.9%, there will be little to no temperature and wind changes, little to no behavior changes, little to no shadow bands. Speck said that you need to be within the path of totality at 100% to experience any dramatic brightness changes, Baily’s beads, diamond ring effects, chromosphere and prominences, corona, sunset colors around the horizon, and bright stars and planets.
To get the full experience, scientist encourage people to travel somewhere within the path of totality.
There is an interactive map put out by NASA that lets people put in their zip code to see how much eclipse coverage they can expect there, and what time the eclipse will be at its peak.
It’s important to know that even at 99% coverage, there is still enough sunlight to hurt your eyes during an eclipse. So you’ll want to make sure you have eclipse glasses or another form of eye safety. NASA has more information on eye safety online.
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