Plan ahead for a safe solar eclipse on April 8

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. A 124-mile-wide band in Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. Areas in Ohio that are outside the path of totality, including Franklin County, will experience a partial eclipse. The path is due to cross Ohio beginning at approximately 3:08 p.m. eastern daylight time, with the final exit of the moon's shadow at 3:19 p.m.

Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. It's never safe to look directly at the sun's rays, even if the sun is partially obscured, as this can result in severe eye injury. The only safe way to look directly at a partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Be sure you're familiar with solar eclipse safety tips.

What you should know about Eclipse Planning:

• Make a family emergency plan and include pets.
• Have emergency supplies in place at home, at work and in the car.
• Your travel plans should include before, during and after the event.
• Get your information from reliable sources.
• Know where you will get accurate and timely information, notifications and alerts.
• The OHGO app provides real-time traffic updates in Ohio so you can get the information you need when traveling.

Interesting Facts from NASA:

• After the total solar eclipse on April 8, the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.
• The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099.
• We can't normally see the corona ­- the sun's outer atmosphere - because the sun's surface below it is so much brighter. But during a total solar eclipse, the corona becomes visible, offering unique opportunities to study it.
• When a solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up, thinking that it's nighttime, and non-nocturnal wildlife might think it's time to head to sleep.

More information on the Ohio path of the solar eclipse can be found here: https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/ohio-total-solar-eclipse