Sleeping Bear Dunes to host eclipse viewing event

From staff reports

The sky is the limit at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Join National Lakeshore staff on Monday, April 8, from 12-4 p.m. at the Dune Climb to experience a partial solar eclipse. The eclipse will start at 1:57 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. (EST). Maximum solar coverage of 86.7% will occur at 3:11 p.m.

Park staff will host activities about the sun, eclipses, and the solar system. Viewing glasses will be available while supplies last. Bring snacks, water, beach chairs, and blankets for a more comfortable experience. All programs offered by the National Lakeshore are free. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass displayed in their vehicle to join in the fun.

The program will be moved to the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center if the eclipse is not visible due to weather conditions. A livestream by NASA will be shown in the auditorium. The livestream is also accessible from any personal device with internet access. Within two hours of the program, please call 231-326-4700, ext. 5005, for a voicemail message with the location decision.

No matter where you are in Michigan, however, the partial solar eclipse will be visible if weather and cloud conditions are favorable. Please remember to view only with special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, with which you can safely look directly at the sun. Tips to safely view this rare event can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety.