Perhaps you’ve heard about the sense of awe.
The first total solar eclipse visible from northwest Ohio in 218 years will be almost a religious experience, a spiritual connection to the universe if word on the street comes true.
It’ll be mesmerizing. When the moon moves into position to completely block the sun, expect the unexpected.
And we’re not just talking about cattle, horses, pigs, and other animals getting confused and thinking that night has fallen early.
No, look to the sky during that ever-brief time in which totality exists.
Jupiter and Venus. Mars and Saturn will almost certainly be visible, if the sky is clear enough, according to Michael Cushing, University of Toledo Ritter Planetarium director.
Truth is, though, even Mr. Cushing — one of the leading astronomy experts in this region — said he isn’t quite sure what to expect and, equally as important, what to feel.
Other than a rush of euphoria as his adrenaline kicks in, of course.
“Most of us are just going to be geeking it out like the rest of the world,” Mr. Cushing, confessing this will be his first total solar eclipse, too, said. “Most astronomers I know are just geeking out and enjoying it like everyone else.”
Yes, he’s seen partial eclipses and been impressed. But not much time is needed talking to him or perusing a NASA website to know that the show nature will give much of northwest Ohio on April 8 will be a whole different ballgame.
We have the benefit of science, as Mr. Cushing points out.
Our ancestors didn’t.
According to a website operated by The Exploratorium, a San Francisco-based science museum, ancient Greeks believed that eclipses were a sign the gods were angry with humans and that the sun would abandon Earth, bringing untold misery. The museum states that the word “eclipse” actually comes from the Greek word meaning “abandonment.”
Today, though, it’s all about that rush of euphoria — thanks to science, Mr. Cushing said.
Kate E. Dellenbusch, Bowling Green State University’s planetarium director, agreed that total eclipses were “a scary thing” for our ancestors, but said the phenomenon has become an object of human fascination since more was learned through science.
Today, the rare occurrence in the sky inspires art, music, history, and other disciplines, she said.
This is her first total eclipse, too.
“I've seen some really good, partial eclipses, like the one in 2017. But it doesn't compare at all to totality,” Ms. Dellenbusch said. “Things will look weird. People will have a reaction.”
She agreed that some planets not normally seen by humans should become temporarily visible.
A comet might, too, Ms. Dellenbusch said.
Astronomy itself has the power to capture people’s imaginations,” she said.
As Mr. Cushing put it, a total eclipse is another phenomena of nature that fascinates people, something so innate in our DNA that it’s hard to explain.
“Why do people react to the Grand Canyon the way they do?” he asked. “It’s a scar in the ground.”
That same primal feeling occurs when people experience a total eclipse, because there’s “a majesty to it,” Mr. Cushing said.
“There's an amazement to it,” he added.
According to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806.
The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099, the agency said.
It’s not that the heavenly show is exceptionally rare. It’s that there are limited places on Earth that get the full effect.
According to NASA, the last total eclipse visible from the United States was Aug. 21, 2017. It began on the West Coast of Oregon, south of Portland. It followed a southeasterly path, maintaining a width of anywhere from 62 to 71 miles.
The one April 8 will be a much wider path, ranging between 108 and 122 miles wide. It enters North America through central Mexico and follows a northeasterly direction, crossing over into the United States through Texas and continuing across the continent through northeast Canada.
It will involve more cities and more densely populated areas, meaning that “at any given moment, this eclipse covers more ground,” NASA said.
“The eclipse in 2024 could be even more exciting due to differences in the path, timing, and scientific research,” the space agency said.
NASA also said it will be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.
First Published March 31, 2024, 11:00 a.m.
