CLEVELAND — The world will beat a pathway to Cleveland's front door April 8, when the sun and the moon do that high-level ballet which will take out the bright and bring on the night for a few magical minutes. It will be the total eclipse which will send a thin slice of darkness to the earth, but only in a few places. Cleveland is among those places.
The last time there was a total eclipse of the sun in Cleveland was in 1806. That June 16, the community was just a small settlement, as it was only 10 years after Connecticut surveyor Moses Cleaveland stepped ashore and began mapping out a good location for an outpost. In that small area in 1806, there were fewer than 100 settlers, although there were a sizeable number of Native Americans in the area.
Still, no one expected the eclipse. Astronomy had not gone that far yet, so it must have been a surprise when from earth's vantage point, the moon moved in the direction of the sun, blocking the sun's rays for a few minutes. Everything turned to twilight that afternoon.
There is no known recorded description of the event (other thank some sketches), but certainly the few settlers and the communities of Native Americans — most of whom at the time lived west of the Cuyahoga River — looked skyward in awe. Had photography existed at that time, someone surely would have aimed a camera skyward to capture the eclipse. Had there been radio or television, reporters would have gone on the air and gave a play-by-play as the moon edged closer and closer to the sun.
But this was 1806. We can only imagine what the people said or thought.
Now, 218 years later, Cleveland will be one of the centers of the universe for a few precious moments, when the moon and the sun seem to do a full-faced kiss above the city. We will record every moment of it, as will other communities in the world that are in the path of totality. For generations, we and those people who follow us will look upon that day and play back Cleveland's total eclipse of 2024.
There are at least two solar eclipses per year somewhere on the earth; the maximum number is five a year. The world is very big place, so Cleveland will relish the one that will bring thousands of visitors to the city, looking at a few minutes of dark will put a bright light on Cleveland.
So take advantage of the April 8 eclipse. The next total eclipse of the sun Cleveland will see will be in the year 2444.