On April 8, 2024, Northeast Ohio will be in the path of a total solar eclipse. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon completely blocks the sun.
Northeast Ohio is in the "path of totality," meaning it is a location where the Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun. From 3:13 p.m. until 3:17 p.m. on April 8, the sky over Cleveland will darken, and if the sky is clear, people will be able to see the Sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, which is typically obscured by the sun's light.
View a 3D visualization from NASA of what happens during a total solar eclipse on NASA's 2024 Total Solar Eclipse page.
The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8, 2024. A partial eclipse will begin in Cleveland at 1:59 p.m., according to NASA data. Totality will begin at 3:13 p.m. Maximum totality occurs in Cleveland at 3:15 p.m. Totality ends at 3:17 p.m. The solar eclipse ends completely in Cleveland at 4:29 p.m.
Below is a map created by NASA showing the eclipse's path of totality across Ohio, including the times of peak totality for various locations across the path, and the shape of the moon's shadow as it travels across the area. View and download the full size map here.
According to GreatAmericanEclipse.com, these are the times for the partial eclipse and total eclipse for other locations in and near Ohio (all times EST):
| City inside path | Duration of totality | Partial eclipse begins | Total eclipse begins | Partial eclipse ends |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | 3m 46s | 1:50 p.m. | 3:06 p.m. | 4:23 p.m. |
| Dayton, Ohio | 2m 46s | 1:53 p.m. | 3:09 p.m. | 4:25 p.m. |
| Wapakoneta, Ohio | 3m 55s | 1:54 p.m. | 3:09 p.m. | 4:25 p.m. |
| Toledo, Ohio | 1m 54s | 1:56 p.m. | 3:12 p.m. | 4:26 p.m. |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 3m 50s | 1:59 p.m. | 3:13 p.m. | 4:28 p.m. |
| Erie Pennsylvania | 3m 43s | 2:02 p.m. | 3:16 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. |
Except for the brief total phase of the solar eclipse when the Moon completely blocks the Sun's face, it is NOT safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
Again: Do NOT look at the sun during the eclipse without protective eyewear. The only time it will be safe to look at the sun is during the brief period of totality. In Cleveland, that is about 3 minutes and 50 seconds between 3:13 p.m. and 3:17 p.m. on April 8.
Many eclipse events and watch parties around the area will be offering eclipse-viewing glasses. Eclipse glasses ARE NOT regular sunglasses — no matter how dark they are (or polarized), sunglasses are not safe for viewing the Sun. Also, DO NOT look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device, whether or not you are wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld viewer. NASA says the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.
Eclipse viewing glasses should comply with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for filters for direct viewing of the sun. Unfortunately, in the weeks before the 2017 total solar eclipse, the market was flooded with counterfeit glasses that were labeled as ISO-compliant but were not. The American Astronomical Society has compiled a list of trusted vendors for ISO-compliant eclipse glasses, handheld viewers and solar filters.
If you are unable to obtain eclipse glasses or a handheld viewer, you can use the indirect viewing method using a pinhole projector. Here is a diagram from NASA of a simple pinhole projector you can make with a cardboard box, a white sheet or paper, tape, scissors and aluminum foil:
Here are three important safety guidelines from NASA to follow during the total solar eclipse:
View a map of eclipse events below:
