Watching the August 21st solar eclipse in Michigan

The solar eclipse will be visible in Michigan on Monday, Aug 21, 2017 so in the interests of maximal eclipse enjoyment, I’m publishing this special Sunday Michigan in Pictures!

Solar Eclipse May 21st 2012, photo by John Kennedy

The brighter stars and the planets come out. Animals change their behavior. Birds and squirrels nest. Cows return to the barn. Crickets chirp. There is a noticeable drop in both light level and air temperature. It is an eerie feeling. Totality can last for no more than about seven and a half minutes but is usually less than three minutes long.
-National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tomorrow is the day for the total eclipse, although in Michigan we will see only 70-80% of the sun eclipsed by the moon (less as you move northward) it’s still a rare opportunity. Here’s times for a range of Michigan locations:

• Munising – onset:  12:56 pm | max: 2:16  pm | end: 3:35 pm
• Marquette – onset: 12:54 pm | max:  2:15 pm | end:  3:34 pm
• Grand Rapids (and Traverse City) – onset: 12:58 pm | maximum:  2:22 pm | end:  3:43 pm
• Lansing (and Mackinac Island) – onset: 1:00 pm | max: 2:24pm| end: 3:35 pm
• Sault Ste Marie – onset: 1:00 pm | max:  2:20 pm | end:  3:37pm
• Detroit – onset:  1:03 pm | max: 2:27  pm | end: 3:47 pm
• Get the precise times and also the amount of the sun that will be eclipsed at Vox’s solar eclipse tool.

NASA’s Eclipse 2017 website is definitely the place to go for all of your eclipse watching & info needs. In addition to the NASA Goddard Instagram feed and an Eclipse 2017 Flickr group where you can share photos from the eclipse with people from all over, there’s…

• …information for how to watch the eclipse safely – because you can irrevocably damage your eyeballs! One way is to make a pinhole projector.
• …basic information on how the eclipse works.
• …all kinds of Livestreams to watch the eclipse.
• …all kinds of other things from Apps & Eclipse Activities to NASA’s coast to coast chase of the eclipse.

View the photo background bigtacular and see more in John’s Scenery slideshow.

Into the Sunset

Into the Sunset, photo by paulh192

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I’m guessing more sunsets and more time on the water with friends & loved ones is a good way to make that happen.

View the photo bigger and see more in Paul’s slideshow.

Bay Shore in black & white

Untitled, photo by Ron Smith

View the photo background big, see more in Ron’s Up North slideshow, and follow him on Instagram @RonSmith.

More black & white photography & more from Charlevoix on Michigan in Pictures.

Three of Many

Three of Many, photo by smfmi

View the photo from the Poseyville wetland in Midland County bigger and see more in smfmi’s Birds slideshow.

Cadillac

Cadillac, photo by Gregg Mulholland

View the photo background bigtacular and see more in Gregg’s seriously cool Crystal Car Show slideshow.

More cars on Michigan in Pictures.

Even Mr. Brightside has a dark side

Mr. Brightside, photo by Aaron Springer

The Frankfort North Pier Head Light marks the entrance to Betsie Lake. It’s a popular fishing spot, but on Friday afternoon as UpNorthLive reports, a fisherman learned to pay a little more attention to his surroundings:

The Coast Guard says the man was fishing when the weather picked up. He then became stuck on the pier due to crashing waves over the break wall. The Coast Guard was notified by the Benzie County Central Dispatch around 9:25 p.m.

Coast Guard Station Frankfort then launched a 25-foot response boat, a small crew and a Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City MH-60 jayhawk helicopter crew. The response boat arrived on scene first and confirmed the man was on the wall. The boat could not help with the rescue due to the shallow water.

The Coast Guard says the MH-60 helicopter crew hovered over the lighthouse on the pier and lowered a rescue swimmer who then basket-hoisted the man to safety with no injuries before flying to Frankfort Dow Memorial Airport where local EMS were standing by.

Click through for more including a video of the man and the pier taken from the Coast Guard helicopter.

View the photo bigger and see more in Aaron’s slideshow.

More from the Frankfort Light on Michigan in Pictures.

Sunflowers Galore!

Sunflowers Galore, photo by Shawn Jenks

If you’re a fan of sunflowers, it’s your season! I love seeing fields bursting with sunflowers as I’m out and about this time of year.

View the photo background bigilicious and see more in Shawn’s slideshow.

More summer wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.