When is the next total solar eclipse in Michigan? Hint: Don’t wait up
- Monday’s total solar eclipse was the first visible in Michigan since 1954
- The next total solar eclipse where Michigan falls on the path of totality won’t be until Sept. 14, 2099
- Cities in southeast Michigan are on the projected path of totality for the 2099 eclipse
LUNA PIER — Hundreds of Michiganders flocked to Luna Pier and camped at Luna Pier beach or along Luna Pier Road to see the eclipse on Monday. What they may not have realized is how rare a treat it was.
Not only was it the first total solar eclipse visible from Michigan since 1954, it was the last one Michigan will see for another 75 years.
The next one won’t be until Sept. 14, 2099. But this time, more than just a sliver of Michigan is expected in the path of totality. An early map predicts that Kalamazoo, Holland, Grand Rapids and several other cities in the southern Lower Peninsula will be in the path of totality, according to Time and Date.com.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is already looking ahead, saying on social media Monday: “That's nearly a lifetime away, offering a glimpse into a future we can only imagine.” She ended her post with a question: “What will life be like at the start of the next century?”
If you can’t wait that long to see another total solar eclipse, you can travel across state lines, but it will still be a while: The next solar eclipse that will pass through the continental U.S. will be in 2044.
Related:
- Eclipse blocks sun, brings out smiles from Michigan to Ohio
- Solar eclipse Michigan 2024: Traffic jams, early crowds in Luna Pier
- U-M student on mission as NASA 'eclipse ambassador' to educate communities
Only three states are in its path: Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to NASA.
However, the following year, another total solar eclipse will occur and be visible in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
World travelers can catch a total solar eclipse much sooner. One is due in August 2026 over Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
Meantime, what should I do with my eclipse glasses?
You can save your eclipse glasses for the next one if they are properly stored, since they don’t expire, according to the American Astronomical Society.
Most people may toss them, but they are recyclable as long as you take the lenses out.
You can also donate your glasses to Astronomers Without Borders, an international organization that will use them to provide glasses to people in the Middle East, where a total solar eclipse is forecast in 2027. The organization has partnered with Warby Parker, a retailer where 270 locations will serve as donation centers for the glasses.
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