Get ready for a blackout you will never forget. On April 8, 2024, Shores & Islands Ohio will be in the path of totality for the total solar eclipse, and groups of all sizes are welcome!
The moon will completely block out the sun for approximately four minutes, which is one of the longest durations in the path. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099, so your group won’t want to miss this.
Shores & Islands Ohio will be offering several opportunities to view the eclipse with unobstructed views on Lake Erie or in the acres of greenspace throughout the region. There will be special viewing parties in our coastal communities, such as in places like Downtown Sandusky, Lakeside Chautauqua, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay, and even abord the Jet Express ferry boat as it cruises on Lake Erie.
There are also great opportunities for students to learn about the eclipse as it nears. The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums examines eclipses in its latest special exhibit, “Chasing Totality: The History and Science of Eclipses.” The exhibit looks at the science behind how eclipses work, the history of astronomy’s attempts to understand that science, and a look at one particular solar eclipse that drove Americans across the country in July 1878 to the western territories during Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidency.
Artifacts that will be a part of this exhibit include a copy of “Canon of Eclipses” on loan from the Shapiro Library at the University of Michigan, a vintage telescope, and Thomas Edison’s tasimeter on loan from The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. Edison used the tasimeter in an unsuccessful attempt to determine the temperature of the sun’s corona. Photos from Hayes Presidential’s Ernst Niebergall Collection of a solar eclipse in the Fremont/Sandusky area that covered 97 percent of the sun on Jan 24, 1925, also will be on display.
Contact Shores & Islands Ohio today to plan your “pre-” eclipse trip to the Rutherford B. Hayes exhibit, or other educational opportunities available in the destination to learn about this historic event and bring your group back on April 8.2024 to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event in person.
Visit www.shoresandislands.com/solar-eclipse for more information on everything taking place for this spectacular event and contact [email protected] for group opportunities.
