WHITEHALL — NASA ambassador Joe Dermody describes himself as being “addicted to solar eclipses,” and he’s not exaggerating. He loves them so much, he said he’ll travel to Mazatlan, Mexico on April 8 to witness landfall for the path of totality in that day’s total solar eclipse.
Dermody, who regularly does local presentations about astronomy and outer space, passed along information about solar eclipses to an audience of dozens of area residents Tuesday at the White Lake Community Library. This eclipse is a special one for aficionados because it’s the last time the path of totality - that is, the area in which the sun will be completely obscured by the moon - will touch the 48 contiguous United States for 20 years. The path will make landfall in Mazatlan and travel through over a dozen states, including a tiny portion of southeast Michigan, before moving on to Canada. The eclipse will last from about 1:45 to 4:15 Eastern time, with the sun just under 92 percent obscured for White Lake area viewers at its peak.
Solar eclipses take place whenever the moon and Earth’s rotations align in such a way that the moon obscures Earthlings’ view of the sun. They happen two to five times a year, but not all of them are total eclipses, and fewer still touch North America. Michigan, Dermody said, has not been part of the path of totality since 1954.
Dermody said that in terms of Americans being able to view a total eclipse, this one will be the most accessible since 1806. The next comparable eclipse will take place in 2045, with the path of totality again crossing through much of the U.S. Dermody said though he’ll be over 90 years old for that one, he already has a goal to view it, “even if I have to be in a hospital bed.”
The presentation included dozens of slides, some of which displayed animated sequences that explain how solar eclipses take place. Some had photos taken of eclipses from space. In fact, Dermody noted that astronaut Don Pettit, whose photos were two of the presented slides, has twice witnessed solar eclipses from space but has never seen one on the ground.
Attendees received Space Dunk versions of Oreo cookies and special solar eclipse glasses that allow users to look at the sun during the eclipse. Dermody emphasized that looking directly at the sun without proper glasses will damage viewers’ eyes.
