Our turn is yet to come, and we won’t have the chance in Michigan’s Great Southwest to see the total eclipse like you see in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com, but if we can get Mother Nature to set aside a few of the clouds that have hung around most of the day so far, we might be able to see an 85-percent coverage in our region.
This photo is a screen capture from NASA’s live streaming on the Internet as seen in Salem, Oregon shortly after 1:15pm this afternoon local Michigan time. Our peak performance time, if the clouds will give us a break, will be at around 2:20pm local time.
NASA says that all of North America was scheduled to be treated to this eclipse of the Sun, as they carry it live from coast to coast from unique vantage points on the ground and from aircraft and spacecraft, including the International Space Station. Coverage began at noon ET/9am PT today.
Those who have made their way to the “path of totality” have the opportunity to see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights – a total solar eclipse. NASA identifies that path, “where the moon will completely cover the sun and the sun’s tenuous atmosphere – the corona – can be seen, will stretch from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina.” Those of us outside that path will still see a partial eclipse, if the cloud cover makes way, where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk.
The path of totality, capable of producing an image like you see above, is a relatively thin ribbon, around 70 miles wide, that is crossing the U.S. from West to East. The first point of contact was at Lincoln Beach, Oregon at 9:05 am PDT. Totality began there at 10:16 am PDT. It has been crossing through Oregon, and Idaho, and advances through the afternoon into Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. The total eclipse will end near Charleston, South Carolina at 2:48 pm EDT. From there the lunar shadow leaves the United States at 4:09 EDT. Its longest duration will be near Carbondale, Illinois, where the sun will be completely covered for two minutes and 40 seconds.
Remember to wear safe eclipse glasses to look at the sun this afternoon or use other reverse, reflection methods like a cardboard box and others.
