Leelanau County residents looked to the skies on Monday for the near total solar eclipsed that graced clear peninsula skies.
Over a hundred people ventured out to the Dune Climb in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to witness the event.
The eclipse started with the moon crossing into the path of the sun at 1:57 p.m., traveling from right to left with the maximum solar coverage of 86.75% occurring at 3:11 p.m.
SBDNL park staff hosted activities about the sun, eclipse, and the solar system during the event.
Local schools held plenty of activities revolving around the eclipse.
Students at Glen Lake soaked up the sun with glasses that were provided. Northport and Suttons Bay Public School students also took time to watch the rare event, as well as multiple local businesses in Leelanau that held watch parties in the afternoon.
An eclipse occurs when one celestial body moves into the shadow of another, causing a temporary dimming or obscuring of light.
This was the first total solar eclipse visible from Michigan since 1954, and the next one will happen on Sept. 14, 2099. Save the date.
During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching Earth, resulting in a darkened sky during the day.
There are two main types: solar and lunar eclipses. During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching Earth, resulting in a darkened sky during the day. On the other hand, a lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the Moon’s surface, causing it to darken or appear red.
