Small corner of Michigan awaits total solar eclipse

Americans from Texas to Toledo will witness a total solar eclipse on April 8. That includes a very small part of southeast Michigan.

The total eclipse will be visible in Luna Pier shortly after 3:13 p.m. It will last less than a minute.

But even a brief glimpse excites JJ Przewozniak. He’s the deputy director of the Monroe County Museum System.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to really celebrate and view the natural world we live in,” he said.

It’s also an opportunity for people to learn more about solar eclipses. Przewozniak says the museum will offer a series of educational activities starting on March 25.

“Part of our mission statement is to cultivate our visitors’ curiosity,” he says. “One of the big things we’re promoting is safety.”

Przewozniak says the museum has given out hundreds of pairs of glasses that allow people to look at the eclipse without damaging their eyes. It’s also offering a class on how to make their own pinhole viewer. This lets people watch the eclipse by punching a small hole in a piece of cardboard, holding it up to the sun, and putting it in front of another piece of cardboard or paper. The light that passes through the hole allows the viewer to see the moon’s shadow move across the sun without looking at the eclipse.

“This is a safe way to do it, and it’s a fun hands-on program as well,” Przewozniak said.

On March 27, Dr. Kevin Czajkowski from the University of Toledo will visit the museum. He’ll demonstrate how people can take cloud, air temperature and surface temperature observations and share them with NASA.

This will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the Lower Peninsula since 1806. The next one after this won’t happen until 2099. Przewozniak urges people not to miss it.

“Go someplace special, be with someone special, because the likelihood of being around for the next one are pretty slim,” he says.

The rest of southeast Michigan will see an almost total solar eclipse on April 8, during which the moon will block about 99% of the sun’s surface at its peak. It will be the fourth partial solar eclipse visible from Detroit since 2017.