- Joined
- Sep 12, 2023
- Messages
- 1,581
- Location
- North Ridgeville, OH
- Vehicle Details
- 1997 Thunderbird 4.6, 1998 Mark VIII LSC
What, when, and where is it?
I'll be hosting a viewing party for the April 8, 2024 eclipse at my home. Eclipse day is a Monday - so you will need to arrange a long weekend with your employer.
I am located in North Ridgeville, OH - a western suburb of Cleveland. I live about 3 minutes from the nearest I-80 and I-480 interchanges and an easy 20 minutes from the CLE airport. There are numerous lodgings nearby as well.
From my location, the eclipse starts and ends at 1:58 and 4:30 PM, respectively. I am very close to the center of the eclipse path which will afford a near full-duration view of totality; just under 4 minutes from 3:13-3:17. Put in perspective, totality for the eclipse in 2017 lasted less than 2 minutes from our vantage point at Grog6's house.
Why is this posted so early?
I know we're still 7 months away, but I wanted to get this thread started now as a place to collect and post relevant info, record interest and have information available for those who may be interested in attending. With work schedules and PTO lead times varying wildly, I figured posting this early meant nobody would be left out because I didn't give enough time in advance to plan.
Furthermore, local news outlets are predicting horrendous traffic and suggest both arriving/departing on any day other than eclipse day, and booking your accommodations early.
What can I expect?
Several of us went to spend time with Grog6 in 2017 for the eclipse that year - despite the heat, humidity and unpredictable weather we were presented with some amazing views. The 2024 eclipse will be the last total solar eclipse visible for the US until ~2045, so if you missed out on 2017's eclipse, be sure you plan to see this one!
Mosaic of photos I took in 2017
A handful of us at Grog's place in Tennessee in 2017 with my 2 solar filter equipped scopes
Aside from the eclipse itself, there are a number of Cleveland-area attractions that may be of interest if you want to fill a weekend.
The Lorain Assembly Plant, where all MN12s were put together (well, except some of you 30th anniversary Cougar guys!), is about 25 minutes away. The center of the plant was demolished and it's two separate sections now, used as a distribution warehouse and neither is really "open" for the public to drive around. Some sections near the facility afford a place to park for a short visit though.
In Cleveland itself there are a number of things which may be of interest. There's the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra is at Severance Hall. Also in the city are the zoo, Botanical Gardens, Christmas Story house and West Side Market. For those into history, Lake View Cemetery is where you will find John D. Rockefeller and James A. Garfield. Football fans can find the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame an hour away in Canton.
The Kalahari resort and indoor water park is about an hour west near Sandusky. Out that ways is also Milan - home to Thomas Edison's birthplace and museum.
There are tons of excellent ethnic restaurants and bars to choose from.
I'm always eager to take friends up for airplane rides too; flights along the shoreline of Lake Erie seem to be my specialty. There are plenty of beaches along the lake, but in April the water will be about 40 degrees, so swimming is out!
What about the weather?
Weather here in early April has a moderate, however uncertain, chance of being favorable for eclipse viewing. Historically about 50% of the time it's overcast, and 25% of the time there are clear skies. Temperatures can vary wildly, but generally the highs are in the 50s with lows in the upper 30s. A rough favorable/unfavorable call can be made within a week of the event, with a more certain judgment as the weekend approaches.
With clear skies, views should be similar to what I posted above. The location of the sun during the eclipse will be in a wide-open section of the sky with no nearby obstructions (trees etc.).
The forecast indicates temperatures climbing up towards 70, moderate winds out of the south, clouds decreasing throughout the morning and afternoon to 30-40% coverage we approach eclipse time.
What will be provided? What will you need to bring?
I will provide soft drinks and refreshments - I'm not a griller but I'll provide something we can munch on. If there's anything you want to bring to eat or share, please do.
I have a few pairs of eclipse glasses left over from 2017, though you should plan to bring your own to be safe.
I'm also enthusiastic to set up and show off my 9-seat home theater. I have a selection of several hundred movies and a few dozen games for the Switch and older consoles.
I have three telescopes:
11" Schmidt-Cassegrain
8" Newtonian Reflector
5" Schmidt-Cassegrain
The two smaller units, the 8" Dobsonian and 5.5" SCT, I have solar filters for that will allow magnified views of the sun during the event. I don't have a solar filter for the 11" SCT, however it can be used at night for high-magnification views of the night sky if anyone's still around by then.
You will need to bring any hard beverages you want to drink, as well as a lawn blanket/chair.
If you are flying in and need any help setting up local transportation, let me know.
Lodging Information
There are 2 basic motels about 3 minutes away. Reviews are mediocre but they are inexpensive and very close.
There is a much larger variety of (nicer) hotels around the nearby Great Northern Mall.
Here's a Google Maps link to the nearest places to set up for a night or two:
For now, I'll start a list of members who will plan on attending. If you're interested post up and let me know how many would be coming! As we get closer and schedules firm, undoubtedly some won't be able to make it. However I'll send my contact information out to everyone knows they'll be coming at least a few days ahead of time.
I'm looking forward to seeing another eclipse, but the centerpiece of this day will certainly be the opportunity to meet up with fellow BirdCats peeps, rain-or-shine.
Attendees
theterminator93 (2)
MadMikeyL (3)
I'll be hosting a viewing party for the April 8, 2024 eclipse at my home. Eclipse day is a Monday - so you will need to arrange a long weekend with your employer.
I am located in North Ridgeville, OH - a western suburb of Cleveland. I live about 3 minutes from the nearest I-80 and I-480 interchanges and an easy 20 minutes from the CLE airport. There are numerous lodgings nearby as well.
From my location, the eclipse starts and ends at 1:58 and 4:30 PM, respectively. I am very close to the center of the eclipse path which will afford a near full-duration view of totality; just under 4 minutes from 3:13-3:17. Put in perspective, totality for the eclipse in 2017 lasted less than 2 minutes from our vantage point at Grog6's house.
Why is this posted so early?
I know we're still 7 months away, but I wanted to get this thread started now as a place to collect and post relevant info, record interest and have information available for those who may be interested in attending. With work schedules and PTO lead times varying wildly, I figured posting this early meant nobody would be left out because I didn't give enough time in advance to plan.
Furthermore, local news outlets are predicting horrendous traffic and suggest both arriving/departing on any day other than eclipse day, and booking your accommodations early.
What can I expect?
Several of us went to spend time with Grog6 in 2017 for the eclipse that year - despite the heat, humidity and unpredictable weather we were presented with some amazing views. The 2024 eclipse will be the last total solar eclipse visible for the US until ~2045, so if you missed out on 2017's eclipse, be sure you plan to see this one!
Mosaic of photos I took in 2017
A handful of us at Grog's place in Tennessee in 2017 with my 2 solar filter equipped scopes
Aside from the eclipse itself, there are a number of Cleveland-area attractions that may be of interest if you want to fill a weekend.
The Lorain Assembly Plant, where all MN12s were put together (well, except some of you 30th anniversary Cougar guys!), is about 25 minutes away. The center of the plant was demolished and it's two separate sections now, used as a distribution warehouse and neither is really "open" for the public to drive around. Some sections near the facility afford a place to park for a short visit though.
In Cleveland itself there are a number of things which may be of interest. There's the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art and Cleveland Orchestra is at Severance Hall. Also in the city are the zoo, Botanical Gardens, Christmas Story house and West Side Market. For those into history, Lake View Cemetery is where you will find John D. Rockefeller and James A. Garfield. Football fans can find the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame an hour away in Canton.
The Kalahari resort and indoor water park is about an hour west near Sandusky. Out that ways is also Milan - home to Thomas Edison's birthplace and museum.
There are tons of excellent ethnic restaurants and bars to choose from.
I'm always eager to take friends up for airplane rides too; flights along the shoreline of Lake Erie seem to be my specialty. There are plenty of beaches along the lake, but in April the water will be about 40 degrees, so swimming is out!
What about the weather?
Weather here in early April has a moderate, however uncertain, chance of being favorable for eclipse viewing. Historically about 50% of the time it's overcast, and 25% of the time there are clear skies. Temperatures can vary wildly, but generally the highs are in the 50s with lows in the upper 30s. A rough favorable/unfavorable call can be made within a week of the event, with a more certain judgment as the weekend approaches.
With clear skies, views should be similar to what I posted above. The location of the sun during the eclipse will be in a wide-open section of the sky with no nearby obstructions (trees etc.).
The forecast indicates temperatures climbing up towards 70, moderate winds out of the south, clouds decreasing throughout the morning and afternoon to 30-40% coverage we approach eclipse time.
What will be provided? What will you need to bring?
I will provide soft drinks and refreshments - I'm not a griller but I'll provide something we can munch on. If there's anything you want to bring to eat or share, please do.
I have a few pairs of eclipse glasses left over from 2017, though you should plan to bring your own to be safe.
I'm also enthusiastic to set up and show off my 9-seat home theater. I have a selection of several hundred movies and a few dozen games for the Switch and older consoles.
I have three telescopes:
11" Schmidt-Cassegrain
8" Newtonian Reflector
5" Schmidt-Cassegrain
The two smaller units, the 8" Dobsonian and 5.5" SCT, I have solar filters for that will allow magnified views of the sun during the event. I don't have a solar filter for the 11" SCT, however it can be used at night for high-magnification views of the night sky if anyone's still around by then.
You will need to bring any hard beverages you want to drink, as well as a lawn blanket/chair.
If you are flying in and need any help setting up local transportation, let me know.
Lodging Information
There are 2 basic motels about 3 minutes away. Reviews are mediocre but they are inexpensive and very close.
There is a much larger variety of (nicer) hotels around the nearby Great Northern Mall.
Here's a Google Maps link to the nearest places to set up for a night or two:
For now, I'll start a list of members who will plan on attending. If you're interested post up and let me know how many would be coming! As we get closer and schedules firm, undoubtedly some won't be able to make it. However I'll send my contact information out to everyone knows they'll be coming at least a few days ahead of time.
I'm looking forward to seeing another eclipse, but the centerpiece of this day will certainly be the opportunity to meet up with fellow BirdCats peeps, rain-or-shine.
Attendees
theterminator93 (2)
MadMikeyL (3)
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