GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse sweeping past the state on Monday, April 8, Michiganders are wondering where the best viewing spot is.
This is the first total solar eclipse seen in the U.S. since August 2017. Areas of Mexico, the United States and Canada will be in the path of totality, which is the moon's shadow. Some of these areas will be plunged into darkness for several minutes as the shadow moves past.
Every contiguous state will see at least a partial eclipse on April 8, including a majority of Michigan. Cities closer to the Indiana or Ohio border will see upwards of 95% totality.
In Michigan, only three cities near the southeastern border will see totality: Luna Pier, Ottawa and Vienna. Unlike places in the center of the path of totality, these cities will only be in darkness for around 30 seconds.
In comparison, many cities will see up to four and a half minutes in darkness in the middle of the afternoon.
However, cities like Erie, Temperance, Lambertville and Samaria will be just outside of totality, seeing up to 99.98% of the sun covered by the moon.
If you want to see higher levels of totality, heading south and east the day of the eclipse will help increase that percentage.
In West Michigan, about 93% totality is expected. So while the moon will not completely cover the sun, the sky will darken like it's evening as the sun takes on a crescent moon shape. Shadows will also appear in crescent shapes, which is a unique aspect of partial solar eclipses.
To see a minute-by-minute breakdown of what the eclipse will look like in any city in the U.S., click here.
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