Eclipse Day: Everything you need to know

Today's the day.

If you want to see (most of) a solar eclipse, you're going to want to be outside just after 3 p.m.

Later today, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, something we in the United States won't see again for more than 20 years.

Eclipses are actually very rare, although that may seem untrue given the bounty of eclipses the U.S. has seen in the past few years.

Here's what else you need to know before much of the United States gets a chance to see a spectacle in space this afternoon:

What exactly is a solar eclipse?

A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking some or all of it from being seen from those on Earth.

During a full eclipse, the moon’s shadow blocks out the brightest parts of the sun and allows us to better see the corona of the sun, which is the outer part of the sun’s atmosphere.

Similarly, a lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon when the moon is full. This blocks the light reaching the moon and can turn it red.

How common are solar eclipses?

They actually happen fairly often — at least twice a year somewhere on Earth, according to NASA. A total eclipse though, where the moon completely covers the sun, happens about every year and a half.

And it’s not common for the same places to see one more than once in several generations. According to NASA, the same spots on Earth only see eclipses for a few minutes once in every 375 years.

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse we’ll be able to see from the contiguous United States won’t be until August of 2044. If you want to see the moon pass entirely in front of the sun, this is your chance for this generation.

Is Detroit going to get a full solar eclipse?

Unfortunately, only a tiny part of Michigan will be directly in the line of totality, which is the word for when the moon passes entirely in front of the sun. In Luna Pier, in Monroe County, the sun will be covered for roughly 20 to 30 seconds at 3:13 p.m., but that’s really the only place in Michigan where there will be a total eclipse.

If you want to see totality, as it is called, you may need to head slightly south — as The Detroit News has reported, plenty of businesses in Ohio are offering events for eclipse viewers.

That’s not to say that eclipse watching from the rest of Metro Detroit will be a total bust, though. We might not be in totality, but we’ll see about a 99% eclipse, according to maps provided by NASA. That means it is important to keep your eclipse glasses on.

Where can I see the eclipse in Michigan?

If the weather today behaves: From the entire state! Even if you won't have a view of totality, you'll still be able to see the moon pass in front of the sun.

More:What time will the eclipse begin in Metro Detroit?

It will probably start right around 2 p.m. and continue through a peak somewhere between 3:10 and 3:20, although the exact timing depends heavily on where you are. The partial eclipse will probably be over by about 4:30 p.m. It's likely that our timing will be shorter than our Ohioan neighbors', a result of being farther from the direct path. In Cleveland, for instance, totality is set to be almost four minutes long; in Toledo, it will only be about two minutes.

A map created by Great American Eclipse shows that all of Michigan, even the corners of the Upper Peninsula farthest from the path of totality, will see at least a partial eclipse, or roughly 65% of one. In the Metro, we're all between 95% and 99%. The views will still be pretty good, even if they're not perfect.

In fact, all of North America will be able to see at least a little of the eclipse — Michigan just gets a better view than say, Wisconsin or Washington or places farther west of the eclipse's path.

Can I look directly at the eclipse?

Please do NOT look directly at the eclipse. You wouldn’t look directly at the sun in normal circumstances, and this is not the time to start. Instead, seek out “eclipse glasses,” which are a specific kind of temporary glasses that help shield your eyes from the worst of the sun’s rays while also allowing you to see what’s going on.

Looking directly at the sun can cause major damage and even vision loss, according to experts at U.C. Davis.

"The damage can start to occur in less than a minute of staring at the sun, and it may not be noticeable until hours later," said Kareem Moussa, an ophthalmologist at the Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute at UC Davis Health.

Staring directly at the sun can damage your retina, which is the part of your eye that tells your brain what it is seeing. If that’s damaged, it can last for months if it's not permanent.

"Typically, the damage will become noticeable over the following 12 hours after staring at the sun and persists for three to four months," Moussa said in a UC press release. "Usually, this leads to a blind spot in the middle of one’s vision or an area of distorted vision. The impact on vision can be severe."

Sunglasses do not work as eclipse glasses.

How can I find good glasses for the eclipse?

There are a lot of bad glasses out there, the result of scammers looking to take advantage of a rare and cool event most people aren’t prepared for.

What you need instead is glasses with the ISO 12312-2 standard, meaning it is such a dark pair of glasses you might not be able to see anything else. That standard is set by the American Astronomical Society.

Glasses purchased off Amazon might not actually meet these standards, even if they claim to. But don’t worry — plenty of places around town are offering glasses. For instance, Meijer is selling solar eclipse glasses. The Detroit Public Library is giving them away as part of their programming of the day. Restaurants and stores around the area (particularly if you want to cross into Ohio) that are having events are also largely offering them, but call ahead to any of these places and confirm availability before making a drive.

You’ll want to acquire some soon, if you haven’t — between shipping times and shortages, it may be hard to get your hands on many pairs moving forward.

If you need more information on eye safety, NASA is offering a lot at science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/.

What's the weather going to be like?

It’s hard to know for sure, even today. The National Weather Service forecasts a cloudy morning in Detroit that will gradually become mostly sunny. Sky cover, meaning the amount of sky covered by clouds, around 3 p.m. is expected to be at 33% in Detroit, according to the National Weather Service.

More:Michigan, Ohio forecast calls for cloudy start to the day before eclipse

In Luna Pier, Michigan’s only spot of totality, it’s forecasted to be mostly sunny after a possible morning rain. Sky cover will be about 34%, slightly better than Detroit. Toledo, in comparison, will have 25% sky cover after a cloudier morning.

It’s going to be a matter of timing. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and the sun will come out for a little time right around 3 p.m., just in time to hide behind the moon.