Solar eclipse wows Mayfield with once-in-a-lifetime experience

Wildcat Voice Staff • April 16, 2024

On April 8, residents of Mayfield looked to the skies for a rare view of a full solar eclipse from the path of totality–an event that won’t happen again in Cleveland for another 420 years.

Most of us have seen an eclipse before, so what makes this one so special? In general a solar eclipse occurs when a new moon is positioned precisely between Earth and the sun and casts its shadow on Earth. In Ohio, the 2017 eclipse saw only a partial covering of the sun–creating just a crescent. Even compared to the last full eclipse that was partially visible from Ohio, which happened in the late 1970s, this one we got almost double the time of totality, clocking in at four minutes and twenty-eight seconds! CTV news says that the path of totality has almost doubled in size, due to the moon being much closer to the earth this year.

The last time a true full eclipse occurred and Cleveland was in the path of totality like this one was 1806!

This eclipse also covered more populated areas, allowing for more people to view it. According to Fox Weather, 12 million people lived in the path of totality during the 2017 eclipse, but this year, it was bumped up to 31 million people! The path has also done a full 180°, switching from going from northwest to southeast, to southwest to northeast.

All along the path of totality, which stretched diagonally across the country, people flocked for a better view, with most short term rentals like Airbnb’s and VRBO homes sold out.

For those in Cleveland, the eclipse started at 1:59 PM and ended at 4:29 PM. But the main attraction of the eclipse was totality, which started at 3:13 PM and ended at 3:17 PM.

One of the most popular places in Cleveland to watch the eclipse was the Great Lakes Science Center. The Great Lakes Science Center received around 16,700 visitors during the eclipse according to wkyc.com. During the eclipse, it was estimated that 200,000 people viewed the eclipse in Cleveland.

Many were drawn downtown for the Guardians home opener and got to see the city skyline light up as the skies turned dark.

Locally, people were drawn to Highland Heights Park and the Grove. Others chose to view the eclipse from their own homes. In addition, many residents who were at work couldn’t watch the eclipse because of a tight schedule. However, the people who witnessed the eclipse were mixed; some were in big groups or parties, while others opted for a secluded get-together by themselves or with a small group of people. Many people cheered as the moon came over the sun into totality, others admired the sight in calm silence. Different parts of the eclipse were identified as favorites.

Numerous students and staff at MMS shared their experience with the once and a lifetime event, such as Harmoni, an eighth grader at the school. She notes that she enjoyed “Sitting there with [her] family,” and the “sparkly-ness” of the event. Choir teacher Mrs. Sabree said the moment before totality “felt like the calm before the storm”. Several students also mentioned seeing a rainbow ring around the sun before it was covered.

Many people also spoke about how the animals in their area responded. Ms. Honzu noted how dogs in the area began to “Freak out and start barking, and the birds all started to fly around.” Many also mentioned animals going silent, such as Mr. Face, who mentions how he could “hear the birds chirping, but they went quiet during totality.”

Contrasting the silence of the birds, Mrs. Skubik, a student teacher from John Carroll University, spoke about how “There were a lot more students on the lawn that weren’t usually there,” and her favorite moment was when said students began cheering. Eighth-grade science teacher, Mr. Dick, enjoyed driving around before the eclipse and watching people in their garage. He noted it felt almost like the Fourth of July.

Most people chose the moment of totality as their favorite point in the eclipse. MMS student Riley said it was, “really cool watching the moon go over the sun.” Mrs. Saunders noted that she wasn’t expecting it to truly become like nighttime–complete with dusk street lights kicking on and birds quieting.

In contrast, student Tori was most excited when the eclipse first began–“the moment when the moon just started to cover the sun and there was a little chunk taken out.” Regardless of what the viewer’s favorite part was something that was made clear by the event is that it brought many families and friends together. A lot of interviewed people unanimously noted that there was way more people out talking with each other than normal.

Prior to the eclipse, many warnings were issued about the dangers of looking at the eclipse without proper eye protection. Doing so could cause the retina to be damaged by something called solar retinopathy. Solar retinopathy can cause blindness, blurred vision, and a blind spot in the center of the eye. ISO glasses designed to block out these damaging rays were in high demand in the days leading up to the eclipse, and many stores sold out.

Many sources noted that protective eyewear could be removed when the eclipse reached full totality. But other sources said that was a dangerous choice. While the sun is partially obscured, some wavelengths that trigger pain don’t come through, dulling a person’s reflex to look away, but enough rays could get through to damage your eyes.

According to experts “two main types of injuries can come from looking at the sun — a burn to the outside of your eye and damage to the nerve tissue within your eye.” One expert, Hariharan, said “solar retinopathy symptoms typically develop within 24 hours after sun exposure” and the symptom usually isn’t pain but rather “looking at something [and] a part of the image is missing.”

So while many took to social media in the day or so following the eclipse worrying about eye damage, an article from NPR says “not to panic.” They note that in the rare case that someone did over-expose their eyes, the damage would heal and symptoms would likely be temporary.

USA TODAY echoes the lack of concern: “It’s important to keep in mind, however, that permanent eye damage from the eclipse is very rare, according to the American Astronomical Society. The group estimates the last solar eclipse in the U.S., in 2017, resulted in about 100 cases out of an estimated 150 million viewers.”

If you enjoyed the solar eclipse and are hoping to see another one, Columbus, Ohio will experience another partial one in 2099!