Toledo will see a partial solar eclipse from 1:56 to 4:26 p.m. on Apr. 8, with a total solar eclipse beginning at 3:13 p.m. Totality should last around 90 seconds. The last time Toledo experienced totality during an eclipse was 218 years ago in 1806, and the next time won’t be until 2099.
UToledo’s Ritter Observatory will be hosting several events leading up to the eclipse. Until Apr. 5, every Friday at 7:30 p.m. there will be an informational program on eclipses. Until Apr. 6, every Saturday will feature a more child-oriented event at 1 p.m. that will include arts and crafts activities relating to the eclipse, such as eclipse glasses.
On Apr. 8, half of the Glass Bowl Stadium will be open for a viewing of the progression of the eclipse between noon and 6 p.m. In the stadium, people will be able to view on the jumbotron an image of the eclipse through the UT telescope, a filter overlaid to avoid causing eye damage to viewers. If the UT telescope is unable to capture a clear view of the eclipse, NASA’s telescope of the eclipse will be projected instead.
Surrounding the eclipse itself, there will be informational videos and activities out on Centennial Mall, with food trucks, games, music, and student organizations tabling. Eclipse glasses will be distributed to students through the library, residence halls, and other UT offices, however, there is a limited supply, so glasses will be first come first serve.
Dr. Michael Cushing, professor of Astronomy and Physics and director of the Ritter Planetarium, described the eclipse as “when the moon gets in between the Earth and the Sun, and so the Moon blocks the Sun out. Another way to think about it is the Moon is always casting a shadow into space because it’s been lit up by the Sun. If the Earth happens to move into that shadow, you see an eclipse… You see this sort of ghostly halo around the Sun. So, it’s a very primordial sort of reaction that we have.”
What sets this eclipse apart from others is that it will reach totality for people in portions of Ohio, including Toledo.
“A total eclipse is when the moon lines up perfectly, blocking out the entire Sun, and that is only on a narrow strip of about 100 miles on the surface of the Earth,” Cushing said.
While eclipses are not particularly rare, where they can be viewed on earth is what makes them unique.
“It takes hundreds of years [for an eclipse to be viewed in totality in the same area] … in principle, they can happen every six months, depending on where the moon is in orbit, but sometimes it’s in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and you don’t see it. The ‘total’ part is very rare just because it’s only 100 miles.”
Eye safety of the viewer is one concern Dr. Cushing raised, stating, “when the Moon moves totally in front of the Sun and everything gets dark, you can take a glimpse [with your] glasses off and you can look directly at it, that’s safe, but the moment it starts to move off, be careful again because it’ll start hurting your eyes eventually.”
To avoid potential eye damage from this eclipse, Cushing suggested the use of pinhole cameras. “The easiest one is just getting a pasta strainer with a bunch of holes and hold it up to the direction of the sun. On the ground, you will see a bunch of little crescent suns because each hole acts like a camera and will project an image of the Sun on the ground.”
