On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, the solar eclipse will begin, with the moon’s orbit around the Earth falling directly in line with the sun, casting a shadow and blocking the sun out. Another solar eclipse will not happen in the states until 2044.
According to NASA, the eclipse will make its way through the skies in Northern Michigan with the partial eclipse starting at about 1:59 p.m. and ending at 4:25 p.m. The time with the most coverage will be at about 3:15 p.m.
More: The 2024 solar eclipse is next week! Here’s everything you need to know.
While Northern Michigan doesn’t fall within the line of totality, the region will still be able to see around 85-90 percent of coverage.
Because Northern Michigan doesn’t fall within the path of totality, the area will require clear skies to spot the shift, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Harold Dippman.
“When you’re talking about the solar eclipse and you’re not in totality, which means that the entirety of the sun is blocked out by the shadow of the moon, you need those clear skies in order to observe the partial obscuration of the sun,” he said.
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It looks like Northern Michigan will be experiencing some cloud coverage on April 8, Dippman said, but it’s still too far out to know for sure.
“Just pay attention to the forecast for the latest updates,” he said. “It will change between now and then — it could change two days before the eclipse too, you never know. The Great Lakes in this time of year can do some strange things to the weather, so always be sure to be aware of the forecast.”
Regardless, eclipse viewers need to be wary of looking directly up at the sun while the moon makes its way in front of it. According to NASA, it is unsafe to look at the sun during an eclipse and viewers must look through eclipse glasses or other safe handhold viewers.
Eclipse glasses are different from regular sunglasses, and can be purchased at many locations. However, health and public safety officials are also warning people to make sure they are using real eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, and not counterfeit glasses that could hurt your eyes.
To find the exact times the eclipse should be visible at your location, visit eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Northern Michigan to see 85-90% totality during April 8 eclipse