Detroit and the majority of the state won’t get a full view of Monday’s eclipse, but that isn’t slowing down excitement over city-related events and viewing parties.
The Detroit Public Library has been hosting eclipse-related programs geared toward children since late March as well as gatherings on how to safely view the eclipse.
The library’s Saturday events, which feature eclipse-themed STEM challenges and “astronaut tryouts,” are already sold out, along with a solar eclipse fun day at the main branch and a viewing party at the Jefferson branch. Some other branches still have tickets available for viewing events.
Atiim J. Funchess, DPL assistant director of marketing and communications, said there’s been a demand from patrons on learning more about the celestial event.
“We’re just making sure that we provide opportunities for them to share the experience together as a community,” he said. “Several of our librarians are really into it and just sharing, educating folks about astronomy and what’s happening. We’ve gotten a lot of attention from outside of the library. It’s been a joy.”
According to Wayne State University, the maximum eclipse will be at 3:14 p.m. in Detroit, with the partial eclipse starting at 1:58 p.m. and continuing until 4:27 p.m.
The city is only expecting to see a 99.5% eclipse, where a tiny sliver of the sun will remain uncovered. The path will begin in Mexico and travel through a dozen states before ending on the Atlantic coast in Canada. Only a small portion of Michigan will see a total eclipse, such as southern Michigan cities like Luna Pier near the Ohio border.
After Monday, the next solar eclipse is not expected to be viewable in Michigan until 2099.
Here’s how some Detroit spots are celebrating the sky show:
Eclipse music with the DIA: Kick off your weekend with a concert at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum is hosting “Friday Night Live! Eclipse Music,” at 7 p.m. Friday featuring the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings and conductor Timothy Weiss. The symphony will play songs such as Canti Dell’ Eclisse by Bernard Rands, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy and Franz Joseph Hayden’s String Quartet in B-flat, Op. 76, No. 4. General admission is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, but people must register on the DIA website.
Solar eclipse viewing party at Ford House: The Michigan Science Center is teaming up with Ford House to provide a viewing party at the historic museum in Grosse Pointe Shores from 12-4:30 p.m. Monday. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., visitors can participate in educational and hands-on activities with the Michigan Science Center’s educators such as making pinhole projectors to safely view the eclipse, safety shields to protect from peripheral sunlight around eclipse glasses, solar telescopes and sun spotters and Build a Moon Base Camp, where kids use blocks to build a base for humans to live and work on the moon. The museum is also offering self-guided tours of the museum beginning at 12 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-12. Every admission comes with a pair of Ford House-branded solar eclipse glasses.
Viewing parties at the Detroit Public Library: Tickets are still available for the free viewing parties at the library system’s Knapp and Sherwood Forest branches. Guests will be able to watch the eclipse outdoors as well as indoors with a livestream of the event from NASA.
Viewing party at Cullen Plaza: The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Outdoor Adventure Center and Huron Clinton Metroparks are hosting a free viewing party at 2 p.m. Monday at Cullen Plaza off the riverfront. Attendees will receive a free pair of viewing glasses while supplies last and themed snacks like Sun Chips and Moon Pies. Guests can view the eclipse through a large telescope with staff from the Huron Clinton Metroparks or go on a self-guided planet walk with information provided from the Outdoor Adventure Center. A few tickets are still available on Eventbrite.
View the eclipse at Wayne State: Wayne State University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy will have solar telescopes for the community to safely view the sun Monday at the following locations: The “W” statue located at the intersection of 2nd and Warren avenues, in front of Old Main, at 4841 Cass Avenue, and the fountain on Gullen Mall.