Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A rare solar eclipse is set to pass over North America on Monday and many people are making plans to experience the astronomical phenomenon. For those who haven’t yet – there’s still time.

Local Astronomy Educator Brian Ottum is currently in Texas near Big Bend National Park, which is the largest dark sky preserve in the world and will offer prime-time viewing for the upcoming event. He’s been there for the past month putting on evening star shows and showing constellations and live pictures of space through a special telescope. He’s also been doing a lot of presentations leading up to the big event.

The eclipse will happen on Monday afternoon, and the time varies based on where people are at.

Ottum says it will start in Texas around 1:30pm and go all the way up to Maine at around 4:30pm. The last solar eclipse was in 2017 but this one will last longer and be over 4 minutes of totality – it will also cross over the entire United States so millions will see it. The next total solar eclipse won’t be for another 21 years and Ottum says this one is “not to be missed”.

In Michigan, there will be no total solar eclipse – meaning people will need to travel to see it.

Ottum says people will need to travel to Ohio – basically Toledo, Cleveland, Lima, and Mansfield.

The problem? There are no reservations available anywhere. However, Ottum says a last-minute road trip can be done.

Ottum said what some people in Michigan plan to do it get up early Monday, check the weather prospects, see where it will be clear in the afternoon, and then drive out. He said that could mean Indianapolis, Cleveland, or Buffalo.

Ottum said that strategy will get people there, they’ll see the eclipse, and “their life will never be the same”.

For those who don’t have reservations and are driving to clear sky zone, Ottum says make sure to have food, water, a full tank of gas, a charged cell phone, and bathroom access – with the last being the toughest. However, he says a lot of times, many little towns will set up their fairgrounds for the public. Ottum says you’ll also need official eclipse glasses that are certified so they’ll be safe.

For those who are making a last-minute road trip, Ottum says be ready for some discomfort because it’s not going to be easy to get home. For the 2017 event, he says people sat for hours on interstates in very rural areas – which will happen again so he advises to not try to drive home. He called the traffic an “aftermath of epic proportions” and said people should try to utilize backroads.

Also, Ottum cautions that cell phone towers can easily be overloaded – meaning people probably won’t be able to access live maps or GPS. He says people should plan for the worst and plan on losing cell phone coverage. Ottum advises to download a map ahead of time and plan your route – although a good old-fashioned paper map would be best. He noted there are also a number of websites and maps online that people can find for the best routes.

Ottum said it will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing for most people and if you’ve never seen a solar eclipse, it’s simply “spectacular” and if you can drive out “do it” but it will be best to wait to go until the last minute to get the most accurate cloud forecast. Ultimately, he said if people are going to chase it – they’re up for an adventure.

Of note: while the path of totality is predicted to touch only the southeastern-most corner of the state, some state parks and wildlife areas in Michigan offer viewing for the partial eclipse due to their open skies and minimal light pollution.