CLEVELAND — In just two years, a swath of the United States will experience one of the most spectacular skygazing events -- a total solar eclipse -- and Northeast Ohio will be in the direct path of totality when the eclipse happens on Monday, April 8, 2024.
NASA has created an interactive map that shows the 2024 solar eclipse stretching from Texas to Maine – and Cleveland will be a hot spot for viewing with near 100 percent totality.
"The eclipse will last just under four minutes in Cleveland, which is one of the longest durations for major cities in the path," according to Destination Cleveland.
NASA says the eclipse will begin at 1:59 p.m. in Cleveland. Totality begins at 3:13 p.m. with maximum effect at 3:15 p.m. Totality ends at 3:17 p.m. The partial eclipse finishes at 4:29 p.m.
Here’s what time the eclipse is supposed to reach the highest totality throughout Ohio, according to NationalEclipse.com:
- Toledo: 3:12:13 p.m. Duration: 1:47
- Mansfield: 3:12:15 p.m. Duration: 3:18
- Sandusky: 3:12:15 p.m. Duration: 3:45
- Ashland: 3:12:36 p.m. Duration: 3:20
- Elyria: 3:12:58 p.m. Duration: 3:52
- Wooster: 3:13:31 p.m. Duration: 2:28
- Parma: 3:13:34 p.m. Duration: 3:45
- Cleveland: 3:13:39 p.m. Duration: 3:49
- Akron: 3:14:06 p.m. Duration: 2:50
- Cuyahoga Falls: 3:14:07 p.m. Duration: 2:58
- Mentor: 3:14:14 p.m. Duration: 3:49
- Ashtabula: 3:15:08 p.m. Duration: 3:46
In preparation for the upcoming eclipse, it might be a good idea to get your viewing supplies now as they will become much more difficult to find as the event gets closer. Remember, you should never look directly into the sun, but you can view the eclipse safely using specific glasses like these.
NASA also lists these these American cities as being in the solar eclipse path of totality:
- Dallas, Texas
- Idabel, Oklahoma
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Poplar Bluff, Missouri
- Paducah, Kentucky
- Evansville, Indiana
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Buffalo, New York
- Burlington, Vermont
- Lancaster, New Hampshire
- Caribou, Maine
In 2017, Northeast Ohio experienced a partial solar eclipse with an 80-85 percent blockage of the sun. 3News' Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling experienced that eclipse in the path of totality from Jefferson City, Missouri. Watch her reaction to the "incredible moment" she was able to witness in the player below: