Northeast Ohio prepares for total solar eclipse: Learn about the upcoming phenomenon at Nordonia Library on March 30

by Dan Holland

Residents of Northeast Ohio will be looking skyward on April 8, when a total solar eclipse passes over the area. Totality will begin at approximately 3:13 p.m.

A number of municipalities, astronomy groups, school districts and other entities are planning ahead for the event, with a number of local school districts, including Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Hudson, Independence, Nordonia Hills and Revere all closing that day to allow students to take part in the once-in-a-lifetime event. 

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon casts a shadow on Earth, obscuring the sun. Totality will last for three-to-four minutes, depending on how near or far one is from the center path.

A partial eclipse, which will be visible prior to and after totality, will begin around 2 p.m. and end around 4:30 p.m. During that time, only specially designed ISO-rated solar glasses should be worn to observe the phenomenon.

The eclipse can only be viewed with the naked eye during totality, when the moon completely obscures the sun.

The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio occurred in 1806, with the next one not scheduled until 2099, according to ohiodnr.gov. This year’s eclipse will trace a path across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada from southwest to northeast. A partial solar eclipse was visible in Northeast Ohio in August 2017.

Macedonia resident Gene Zajac, who has been a NASA Ambassador for 20 years, has been visiting local public libraries to present on the topic. He brings ISO-rated mylar material to his presentations to allow attendees to construct their own solar viewing glasses. He will be making a presentation at the Nordonia Hills Branch Library on Saturday, March 30.

Zajac, who traveled to Tennessee to view the total solar eclipse in 2017, talked about the cosmic phenomenon.

“Take a moment during the eclipse and look at the people around you; some people get emotional over it and cry,” he said. “The weather will get cooler, the sky will get darker, and it will seem like dusk all of a sudden – birds and animals will seem confused at that time.”

During the partial eclipse, viewers can use a colander or any other object with a pinhole to cast an image of the sun onto the ground. Some even use a mirror to project an image onto an outside wall, said Zajac.

Tens of thousands of visitors from outside the area are expected to flock to Northeast Ohio and other parts of Ohio for the event. A number of local municipalities are preparing for the influx with expanded safety forces staffing and eclipse events scheduled for that day. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Cleveland Metroparks, Summit Metro Parks and other open, public spaces are expected to be popular viewing sites.

April 8 community eclipse events

Brecksville will host an eclipse event at its Blossom Hill location for an afternoon of family fun, games, and activities. The city will be providing a limited number of viewing glasses. Plans are underway to bring in food trucks.

Broadview Heights is planning a watch event on the city campus that will include music and a supply of solar glasses. Residents are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Independence will host a Picnic in the Park at Elmwood Park that afternoon. Residents are invited to bring blankets, chairs and refreshments. Residents can reserve a pair of eclipse glasses through the Independence Community Services Department.

The Richfield Chamber of Commerce will be selling eclipse-themed apparel for a gathering on the Village Green located at state Routes 303 and 176. Food will be made available by the owner of the Richfield Brewing Company, which is currently under construction at the locale.

Richfield Heritage Preserve will host “Total Eclipse of the Park” from 1-4 p.m. The event will include activities, games and refreshments. A limited quantity of eclipse glasses will be available for purchase.

The Summit County Astronomy Club, which operates the Fairlawn Rotary Observatory at Bath Nature Preserve, located at 4160 Ira Rd., will have 10 solar-equipped telescopes and over 1,000 solar viewers to distribute. The observatory has a specialized camera that will allow one of the telescopes to stream the event live on YouTube.

Although Cleveland Metroparks does not have a specific event planned on April 8, eclipse workshops and an eclipse speaker series will take place on various dates leading up to the event. For information, visit, clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/education/education-programs/2024-solar-eclipse.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park does not have any specific events listed on the eclipse date, but they encourage visitors to plan ahead and to expect heavy traffic and long waits on local roadways that day, according to nps.gov/cuva.

Local agencies, including Summit County, have urged residents to stay home due to concerns about an influx of eclipse watchers to the area. 

For general information on the total solar eclipse, visit greatamericaneclipse.com. ∞