Trumbull Tourism Launches Eclipse Website
WARREN, Ohio – With most of Trumbull County lying within the path of totality for the April 8 solar eclipse, the county’s tourism bureau has launched a website with information on viewing areas and other tips.
The website includes lists of events that will take place before and on the day of the rare celestial event.
Its list of public gathering sites for viewing includes Mosquito Lake State Park and the Eastwood Mall Complex. The site also offers information on tourism packages and viewing parties. At least two hotels in the county – The Grand Resort in Howland and the Residence Inn in Niles – have overnight packages.
Other viewing locations for spectators include the Kinsman Library and Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren. The sites encourage attendees to bring their own eclipse-viewing glasses, according to Beth Carmichael, director of Trumbull tourism.
The bureau this week sold the last of 5,000 disposable protective glasses for eclipse viewing. The sale began in late January, said Carmichael, who is attempting to obtain more glasses to put on sale.
“We sold them for $5 for a package of six,” Carmichael said. “It was a community service and not to make a profit.”
The glasses are necessary when viewing the eclipse to avoid the risk of permanent eye damage. The only time it is safe to look at the eclipse without protective eyewear is the few minutes when it is total, and the moon is completely blocking the sun.
It is never safe to look at the eclipse through a camera or telescope, according to the Ohio health department.
To find and purchase approved eclipse glasses, the health department recommends checking with local health departments or libraries. They can also be purchased in stores or on websites like Prevent Blindness Ohio. The American Astronomical Society has a list of reliable suppliers that may be helpful.
Before purchasing, make sure the eyewear meets ISO 12312-2 standards.
The county is expecting an influx of visitors for the eclipse. The period of totality – when the moon is fully blocking the sun and the skies are darkened – will start at 3:15 p.m. It will last for two to three minutes, with the length being greater in the northern part of the county.
The total length of the eclipse – from the moment the moon starts to block the sun until it is clear of it – will be a little over two hours, beginning around 2 p.m.
Carmichael said the state highway patrol and local emergency medical officials have made plans to deal with the traffic.
Many school districts in the Valley Mahoning will not have classes that day.
The Cleveland Guardians have changed the start time of their home opener game that day at Progressive Field to 5:10 p.m. so as not to coincide with the eclipse. The Guardians traditionally start their home opener at 4:10 p.m.
The stadium will open at 2 p.m. that day. In Cleveland, the eclipse will reach totality at 3:13 p.m. and last four minutes, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, camping sites in the many state parks that lie in the path of the eclipse are filling up fast, according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
In northeastern Ohio, parks in the zone of totality include West Branch, Pymatuning, Mosquito Lake, Geneva, Headlands Beach, Punderson and Portage Lakes state parks.
To make reservations for camping spots at these and other Ohio state parks, go to reserveohio.com.
Guests are not permitted to make reservations for arrivals or departures on the day of the eclipse, April 8. To address the potential high volume of visitors and traffic, campers must set their reservations to arrive April 7 or earlier and depart April 9 or later.
For more information about eclipse plans at state parks and wildlife areas, visit ODNR’s Solar Eclipse website.
A total eclipse is a rare event for any one spot on the globe. The April 8 event will move through the center of the continent, passing through Ohio from southwest to northeast.
The next solar eclipse that will be visible in Ohio after this year will be in 2099.
Pictured at top: This image from the NASA Eclipse Explorer website shows the path of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse over North America. An estimated 44 million people live inside the 110-mile-wide path of totality stretching from Mazatlán, Mexico, to Newfoundland, Canada. (NASA via AP)
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
