One of the biggest stories of 2024 was the Great American Solar Eclipse.
The solar eclipse is sometimes called nature’s greatest sight, and millions in Michigan and across the country looked into the sky on April 8. For some, like Wayne State University Planetarium director Megan McCullen, it was their first total solar eclipse. She headed to Ohio to take in the sight and spoke with Michigan News Network ahead of time.
“I am so excited for the eclipse,” McCullin said. “I am planning to try to get to totality because I have never seen a total eclipse, and I have colleagues who have and they tell me that it is definitely worth the drive. So I’m taking my whole family and we are going to head to wherever we can find clear skies in the path of totality.”
Those who witnessed the phenomenon might remember how it felt. University of Michigan astronomer David Gerdes previewed what the eclipse would be like.
“You will experience darkness that is almost as deep as full nighttime,” Gerdes said. “It’s about as dark as maybe 45 minutes or so after sunset. It is dark enough that animals and birds and insects will get confused and start displaying their nighttime behavior. The temperature will drop about 10 degrees. The wind might pick up.”
There will be chances to see another solar eclipse in the U.S. in 2028, but the next one in Southwest Michigan won’t be until 2099.
