After the eclipse: On Ohio's path of totality, viewers react with awe

The first total solar eclipse to cross Ohio in more than 200 years occurred Monday afternoon and millions throughout the state paused and looked up as the moon blocked out the sun.

In the path of totality, which ran just north of Columbus, the eclipse lasted up to roughly three minutes and 40 seconds.

The Dispatch and its sister publications deployed reporters throughout Columbus and Ohio to bring readers the latest on this once-in-a-lifetime event. Here's everything Dispatch reporters and photographers saw on eclipse day.

6 p.m.: 'Absolutely magnificent': Eclipse reactions pour in from the path of totality in Ohio

"Beautiful," is the word Stella Tong, 11, used to describe the total solar eclipse from her viewpoint laying on a grassy hill in front of the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

"It was amazing, it was absolutely amazing," said her dad, Christian Tong, 51.

The family —which also includes mom Amanda Tong, 48, and son Leo, 7— traveled from their home in Tampa, Florida to Cincinnati to get treatment for Leo, who has a rare condition, at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Christian Tong found the museum's event and the family said it was " worth the trip" from Tampa to Cincinnati to Wapakoneta.

"It was great to be right on the center of totality," said Christian Tong, who, in 2017 led a tour for the eclipse at Glacier National Park. "It was amazing. It was absolutely amazing."

Christian Tong also noted the nice weather, and Amanda Tong enjoyed the atmosphere of the museum's event.

“We love it. The people set up with their gear, the interactive things for the kids, the music. The whole vibe is good," she said.

After the eclipse reached totality, the event's DJ asked the crowd to cheer if it was their first solar eclipse, and many made noise.

Cheerers included Owen Clark, 8, who lives in Pataskala and was viewing the eclipse from the museum's lawn with his mom, Jessica Clark, 41, and his brother Camdyn Clark, 11.

"Worth it," Owen said. "It was a bunch of money but it was worth it. It was a once in a lifetime experience, at least for me," he said, glaring in jest at his older brother, who saw the partial 2017 eclipse as a preschooler.

"The full was way better," Camdyn said. His favorite part? The darkness.

A chill snuck into the air and the wind picked up as the moon covered the sun completely in Wapakoneta, just a "diamond ring effect," as Michael Latka called it, as the sun streamed in over mountains on the moon's surface.

Latka, an astronomy enthusiast, brought a special telescope to look at the sun and saw a red solar prominence, like a flare, but lasting longer, that showed up during totality and after. It was on the bottom edge of the sun and was much, much bigger than the circumference of the Earth, he said.

Latka, from Jackson, Michigan, worked as an industrial engineer at a company that produced parts for the Apollo missions and moon rockets.

As for the eclipse as a whole, Latka said it was "absolutely magnificent."

Emotionally and visually magnificent, Latka said, and he felt "a burst of awesomeness" looking up at it.

—Danae King, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

5:51 p.m.: Life in Columbus slowed to a crawl as eclipse passed overhead

In the end, 99.6% wasn’t so bad for eclipse watchers in Columbus, outside the line of totality to our north and west.

At Gravity Park in Franklinton, people started arriving at noon for beer and science experiments.

Along Grandview Avenue in Grandview Heights, outdoor tables at Stauf’s, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Grandview Café filled up. Jeni’s served up four eclipse flavors and free, fizzy Space Dust sprinkles. Stauf’s had an Eclipse Latte of espresso, vanilla and orange juice and insisted via social media that “you’re just gonna have to trust us on this one.”

By about 3 p.m., the streetlights popped on along High Street and office lights grew visible through the windows of Downtown office towers. Temperatures dropped noticeably. A few hundred people sat on the Statehouse steps and stood around Capitol Square to gaze up through eclipse glasses as the sun shrank to a tiny sliver over the Riffe Building.

By the peak at 3:12 p.m., the mid-afternoon buzz in the heart of Downtown didn’t stop in totality, and probably not even 99.6%. But it did feel quieter. Conversations paused, and a U.S. Postal Service truck was the only vehicle heading south on High Street for a minute.

The sun started growing larger within seconds, the sky grew brighter and the temperature returned to its pre-eclipse spring warmth. Someone applauded.

By 3:30 p.m., two office workers walked across Capitol Square, heading back to their desks with their eclipse glasses in hand.

“Well, that was a nice way to break up the day,” one said to the other.

—Bob Vitale, reporting from Columbus, which experienced 99% of the total eclipse.

4:10 p.m. Hour after eclipse, traffic slow and steady

An hour after the eclipse reached totality in parts of Ohio, traffic returning to Columbus remains heavy.

The most congested areas of traffic are on U.S. 33 east between Marysville and Dublin, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Ohio 315 and U.S. 23 headed south from Delaware to Columbus.

There are no reports of significant crashes, however, the left shoulder of U.S. 33 east is closed beyond the U.S. 42 interchange.

There is also a crash blocking the westbound lane of Interstate 270 near Ohio 315.

—Cole Behrens, reporting from Columbus, which experienced 99% of the total eclipse.

3:43 p.m.: After eclipse, traffic delays already reported around Ohio

Areas of former congestion, like U.S. 33 in between Marysville and Dublin appeared to be mostly under control as the eclipse ended and travelers begin to return around 3:30 p.m., according to ODOT.

But, traffic is beginning to build back up in Marysville headed southbound.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has estimated hundreds of thousands of visitors would come to Ohio today, potentially causing widespread traffic congestion throughout the state.

Check out more reports of traffic around the state here.

—Cole Behrens, reporting from Columbus, which experienced 99% of the total eclipse.

3:32 p.m.: The eclipse is over. What should you do with your eclipse glasses?

Several companies and government agencies have partnered to collect used but undamaged glasses for reuse.

Warby Parker stores are accepting them until April 30 and will donate them to Astronomers Without Borders to distribute to educators and students around the world.

SWACO and its partners including the city of Columbus, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are collecting the glasses and, as part of a relationship with Solar Eclipse USA, will send them to schools in Latin America so that school-aged children can view the October Annual Eclipse.

For those attending a watch party at the zoo or at Glacier Park, Highbanks, Homestead, Prairie Oak or Sharon Woods the glasses can be left at collection containers at the event.

Otherwise, they can be dropped off before April 30 at one of the following locations at the SWACO Recycling Convenience Center, 2566 Jackson Pike or the Columbus Waste & Reuse Center, 2100 Alum Creek, Columbus.

They also can be left at Columbus & Franklin County Metro Park Nature Centers at Battelle Darby Creek, 1775 Darby Creek Drive, Galloway; Blacklick Woods, 6975 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg; Blendon Woods, 4265 E. Dublin Granville Rd.; Highbanks, 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center.

Don’t put solar eclipse glasses in with household recycling. Due to the mixed material nature of eclipse-viewing glasses, the glasses are not accepted as part of Franklin County’s curbside recycling program.

—Mark Williams, reporting from Columbus, which experienced 99% of the total eclipse.

3:24 p.m.: Total eclipse passes through Ohio

The eclipse has come and gone in Ohio, marking the first time in more than two centuries that such an event occurred in the state.

Below is an image of the the eclipse from Wapakoneta, which was in the path of totality.

—Doral Chenoweth, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

2:58 p.m.: As eclipse approaches, viewers prepare for the main event

Eclipse-chasers laid out picnic blankets and unfolded outdoor chairs along Indian Lake on Monday afternoon as the eclipse quickly approached. Children and pets ran free while adults peered upwards at the darkening sun.

Behind them, a handful of boats cruised the shining waters of Indian Lake.

Jessica Bryce, Jennifer Martin, Teresa Martin and Jonathan Martin combined paper plates with their eclipse glasses so that their young children’s eyes would be completely covered from the sun’s harmful rays.

But once they made them for their kids, they decided to make some for themselves, too.

—Nathan Hart and Sheridan Hendrix, reporting from Indian Lake at the center of the eclipse's path of totality in Ohio.

2:55 p.m.: When will the eclipse peak in your neighborhood? Use this tool to find out

The total solar eclipse will peak at different times across Ohio.

In Columbus, residents will see approximately 99% of the eclipse's totality. At about 3:12 p.m., the eclipse will peak locally.

To find out just how dark it will be and when the eclipse will peak where you are, search your ZIP code in this tool here.

—Cole Behrens, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

2:45 p.m.: Ohioans watching eclipse from COSI in Columbus, Hoff Woods Park in Westerville

On the banks of the Scioto River, hundreds of people from across central Ohio flocked to COSI on Monday to watch the once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse. Parents, grandparents and kids waltzed across the wide pavilion with eclipse glasses and solar eclipse kits from COSI in hand.

Some folks immediately started looking for events when they heard about the eclipse, including Gabrielle Herron of Columbus. She came with her two grandchildren, Maya and Sincere, both 10.

In Westerville, police have closed traffic to a portion of Hoff Woods Park with the eclipse approaching. Parkin lots at the park have all filled up and people are beginning to fill a grassy area and await the eclipse which will peak in the central Ohio area just after 3:10 p.m. today.

—Shahid Meighan, reporting from COSI near downtown Columbus, and Jim Wilhelm, reporting from Westerville.

2:26 p.m.: In Marysville, visitor takes one 'last shot' at seeing a total eclipse

A visit to a cousin in Bexley helped lure Morris Klein and his wife, Naomi Freeman, to Marysville from their Bethesda, Md. home.

"We were looking it up and Marysville looked like a good option, said Naomi, who had just finished lunch in Partners Park across from Marysville City Hall.

"I'm 73, so this is my last shot," explained Morris, a semi-retired elder law attorney who broke down and bought a bright orange shirt for $5: "Marysville Ohio Total Solar Eclipse."

At Elgin Park, large groups had gathered, laying blankets under the bright sun, just after 2 p.m. partially sliced by the moon's shadow. Nearby, Walking Distance Brewing Co. also was crowded.

"They have a great vibe here normally, said Kylel Lathwell, who drove backroads from Powell with Erin Tarr and their two teenage boys.

"We're gonna hang out here and let the kids go for a walk," Tarr said.

—Dean Narciso, reporting from Marysville, a central Ohio city inside the eclipse's path of totality.

2:22 p.m.: Visitors from that state up north in Ohio for total eclipse

Gail and George Ranville have started something of an eclipse tradition: visit a brewery in the path of totality.

The Ranvilles own Biére de Mac Brew Works in Mackinaw City, Michigan. In August 2017, they drove down to Hopkinsville Brewing Company in Kentucky to watch that total solar eclipse.

They kept the trend going Monday by spending the day at Indian Lake Brewing Company in Russells Point. The couple enjoyed three flights of brews and enjoyed all of them, Gail said.

Will they visit a brewery for the next eclipse? If they wait until the next U.S. total solar eclipse in 2045, maybe not.

“I’m pushing 70, so I don’t know if I’ll make it!” George quipped.

But, Gail said, the next international eclipse will skirt through Spain in 2026.

“Well, maybe we could hit Portugal when we’re there,” George said.

—Nathan Hart and Sheridan Hendrix, reporting from Indian Lake at the center of the eclipse's path of totality in Ohio.

2:12 p.m.: Eclipse casting its shadow across North America

Images are coming in from around the country of the solar eclipse beginning throughout the U.S.

Satellite images in particular show a large shadow beginning to spread across Earth. The National Weather Service released the below time-lapse image from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite on Monday afternoon.

1:41 p.m.: Eclipse chasers gathering in hometown of Ohio astronaut Neil Armstrong

Kids were blowing bubbles, kicking soccer balls around and snacking on shaved ice as they awaited the total eclipse on the lawn of the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta.

In the path of totality for over three minutes, the area and museum's event drew hundreds on Monday to watch the eclipse. Camping chairs and blankets dotted the grass, with people milling about and friendly banter punctuating the air.

Jessica Clark and her two sons laid out a blanket and set up two chairs in the morning after walking across the street form their hotel in their eclipse-themed t-shirts.

Clark, 41, had planned to take her son Camdyn, 11, to see the eclipse in the path of totality since last fall, when the Licking Heights High School English teacher requested the day off.

When school ended up being canceled for both her and her children, she brought her youngest son, Owen, 8, too.

Her oldest son stayed at home in Pataskala, but 99% totality wasn't good enough for Clark and her sons, as Camdyn is very interested in space. The family visited the museum last summer and were excited to come back for this event.

"I had no idea the atmosphere they've created, but this is phenomenal," Clark said. "It's the camaraderie, people are really friendly. When you see people you know are serious about it, you can just ask them questions."

Clark and her sons did just that, asking a gentleman from Minnesota with a large telescope about what he knew about the eclipse and his equipment. Being a teacher, Clark insisted the boys learn something before looking through the device.

The family visited booths hosted by COSI and NASA. Next, they were setting out to find a man who said he was from NASA and ask him some questions.

A few yards away, LaShawna Hayes and Keith Coleman sat in chairs on the lawn. Hayes, 42, drove from Elon, North Carolina, and Coleman, 42, drove from Clarksville, Virginia. They stayed in Columbus, in the closest available hotel room they could find, for their first visit to Ohio to see the eclipse.

Hayes saw the eclipse in 2017 in Tennessee and knew she had to see this one, too.

—Danae King, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

1:30 p.m.: Eclipse passing through Texas on its way to Ohio

In Texas, the first state in the path of totality, the solar eclipse has begun.

A partial shadow crossed into the U.S. in Texas just after noon local time. The period of “totality,” when the moon blocks out the sun entirely, will follow, as the total eclipse of the sun traces a path from southern Texas to northern Maine.

Alejandra Martinez, a 7th-grade science teacher from the border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, peered up at the gray, gauzy sky, anxiously awaiting the solar eclipse’s entrance into the U.S. Martinez, 42. sat with a telescope under a camping tent in a corner of the county airport in this south Texas town

—Doyle Rice, John Bacon and Rick Jervis reporting on the eclipse for USA TODAY.

12:58 p.m.: Solar eclipse traffic backups, accidents keep piling up in Ohio

As expected, Eclipse day traffic is continuing to cause slow downs and some hectic experiences along Ohio highways.

The heaviest traffic in central Ohio is being reported on U.S. 33 westbound between Dublin and Marysville, particularly near Ohio 161 and U.S. 42 interchanges, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

ODOT's traffic cameras also show heavy traffic on Ohio 315 near the Franklin and Delaware County line and the Ohio 315 and U.S. 23 interchange.

Traffic along Interstate 71 in Delaware County is also heavy near Alum Creek State Park.

Roadways in Powell near the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are also seeing increased traffic and slowdowns.

On the East Side of Columbus, a ramp from Interstate 670 to U.S. 62 was closed in both directions due to a crash.

At roughly 2:35 p.m., two westbound lanes of I-270 were closed at Ohio 315 due to a crash and the I-670 ramp to U.S. 62 had reopened.

Route 23 from Michigan into Ohio is also seeing a build-up of traffic, ODOT spokesperson Matt Bruning, said.

While the pace of traffic to the eclipse has been slow to build, Bruning urged people to prepare for a long return time as everyone who headed to the path of totality tries to get home.

“Patience will be key for sure, if you can stay put the longer you can after the event the easier it will be,” Bruning said. “History is a teacher, and it teaches that is not what happens, everyone leaves and wants to get home at the same time.”

—Bethany Bruner and Cole Behrens, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

12:54 p.m.: Several Ohio state parks now closed to eclipse viewers

The following state parks are closed, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:

• Mt Gilead State Park

• Van Buren State Park

• Daughmer Prairie Savannah State Nature Preserve

• Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve

• Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve

• Lake Loramie State Park parking in Spillway lot is now full as well as beach lot

Visitors are asked to seek other nearby locations.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

12:37 p.m.: Eclipse sights and scenes from around Ohio

Dispatch photographers have spread out across Ohio today to cover the total solar eclipse.

From Columbus, to Dayton, to the hometown of Neil Armstrong, photographers are capturing celebrations and happenings along the path of totality.

Check out the photo gallery for what they're seeing today.

—Dispatch photographers Doral Chenoweth, Courtney Hergesheimer, Sheridan Hendrix, Barbara Perenic and Kyle Robertson covering the total solar eclipse throughout Ohio.

12:21 p.m.: For animals and scientists at the Columbus Zoo, the eclipse is a 'Solar-Bration'

The Columbus Zoo is expecting between 10,000 and 15,000 guests today for its "Solar-Bration," which will include demonstrations by Center of Science and Industry (COSI) and a special SUNdae for sale.

Tom Schmid, president and CEO of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, told guests to be patient as they anticipate a large crowd and traffic but the zoo has been preparing, including making sure to have extra staff and security.

Meanwhile, as lots of guests will be looking up at the sky today, Ohio State University and zoo researchers will be looking at the animals and observing how they react to the eclipse — if they react.

Will predators become aggressive? Will some animals simply go to sleep?

The animals selected for the study are being observed two weeks before, during and two weeks after the eclipse.

Those animals include polar bears, brown bears, ostriches, reindeer, manatees, red pandas, kangaroos, cougars, tufted deer, red crowned cranes and manatees.

—Jordan Laird and Barbara Perenic, reporting from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where researchers are studying animal behavior today. 

What's on tap along the path of totality? Eclipse-themed brews of course

Dozens of people filled Indian Lake Brewing Company on Monday morning for an eclipse-themed viewing party.

Tapestries of planets and eclipses adorned the walls, strings of paper stars hung from pillars, and planet-themed centerpieces sat on every table. The brewing company at Indian Lake is inside the path of totality that crosses Ohio today.

Behind the bar, eclipse shirts emblazoned with the phrase “I blacked out at Indian Lake” were ready for purchase.

The brewery also offered three eclipse-themed brews; an orange and vanilla cream ale titled “Summer Sunset”, a schwarzbier called “235 Seconds” for the amount of time the lake will be in totality and a Black Current Hard Cider.

Outdoor seating was more limited than it would have been in the past; March’s tornado destroyed a few of the brewery’s picnic tables, co-owner Rebekah Smith said.

“(We) just told people to bring beanbags and enjoy (the eclipse),” she said.

—Nathan Hart and Sheridan Hendrix, reporting from Indian Lake at the center of the eclipse's path of totality in Ohio.

Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is closed. Make sure state parks still have space

At least one park along the eclipse's path of totality is already at capacity.

Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve in Ridgeway, about 60 miles of Columbus and 30 miles southeast of Lima. was full as of 11:11 a.m., according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

The state has asked that visitors instead go to other locations for the eclipse.

Lawrence Woods State Nature Preserve is one of 28 ODNR parks along the eclipse's path, according to the state agency. The closest to Columbus that is still in the path of totality is Alum Creek State Park, just north of the city.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

'It's something you need to actually live' through: Space enthusiasts flock to eclipse path in Ohio

When Marilys Guerrero saw a total eclipse in Venezuela in 1998, she got goosebumps.

She pulled up her jacket sleeve and pointed at her forearm, saying she wasn't sure of the English word, but the hairs on her arms were raised.

"It's awesome," she said. "It's something you need to actually live (through)."

Originally from Venezuela, Guerrero and her husband Horacio Osorio drove 12 hours from Rockhill, South Carolina with their two children to see the eclipse in totality at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta.

The space enthusiasts are part of a group Osorio, 49, and Guerrero's father, Jesus, founded over 35 years ago in Venezuela, called the Associacion Larense De Astronomia (ALDA).

They plan to send photos back to the group, which numbers about 200, and their family members.

With them were their two children, Sebastian Osorio, 7, and Miranda Osorio, 5, who they are excited to share the experience with.

"It's very special for me," Horacio Osorio said, of seeing the eclipse, his first total eclipse, especially in the birth place of Neil Armstrong, who was the first person to set foot on the moon in 1969. "I found out it was the birth place of Neil Armstrong and I said "wow, this is the place.'"

Horacio Osorio and his family were waiting in line around 10 a.m. to get into the museum, excited to see Armstrong's suit and lunar rocks before the eclipse.

In the background, a "Neon Moon" cover was playing, followed by other themed songs, like "Bennie and the Jets" and "Shooting Star."

Steps from the line to get into the museum Guerrero and Osorio were in were stands for Kona Ice, hot dogs, kettle corn and memorobilia for sale.

Many people came prepared in T-shirts of their own, with sayings about the eclipse.

People set up their blankets and chairs on the grass in front of the museum and at picnic tables nearby, taking in the exhibits on the lawn, such as aircraft and space shuttles. As of 11 a.m., the line for the museum snaked across the parking lot, nearly to a nearby Waffle House, and kept growing.

—Danae King, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

Eclipse chasers head toward the center of the path of totality in Ohio

Eclipse-gazers are trickling in to prepare for the celestial event at Indian Lake State Park, an area devastated by tornadoes in March located about 70 miles north of Columbus.

One watcher, Dan Masini, traveled from Grand Rapids, Michigan with his dog, Nellie, for a chance to see the eclipse and capture a time lapse of it with his camera.

Masini, a self-described “astronomy guy,” has never seen a total solar eclipse before. When the next one passes over the U.S. in 2044, he’ll be in his 80s, so he plans to make the most out of this one.

Masini has meticulously planned out his shots down to the second. On a small notepad, he has shutter speeds and camera settings puzzled out to ensure he successfully captures the once-in-a-lifetime event.

“We’ll see what we get,” he said.

—Nathan Hart and Sheridan Hendrix, reporting from Indian Lake at the center of the eclipse's path of totality in Ohio.

Marysville celebrating eclipse with 21 events planned

Marysville—a city of about 25,000 located 30 miles north of Columbus— is one of the nearest central Ohio locations in the path of totality.

Marysville has 21 scheduled eclipse events, from a cartoon marathon at the Avalon Theater to a host of parties and happy hours at bars and restaurants including Eclipse and Sip at Bokes Creek Winery, Blackout in the Bar at The Maize at Little Darby Creek and an eclipse golf outing at The Ridge Golf & Gardens.

Marysville's seven hotels are booked through Monday night.

"There's such a spirit of celebration," said Karen Eylon, director of Union County Tourism. "We want to provide treasured memories. But we hope it will also create a tease about all the things you can come back and do here."

—Dean Narciso, reporting from Marysville, a central Ohio city inside the eclipse's path of totality.

Want to watch the eclipse live from Ohio? We've got you covered

The Dispatch will stream the total solar eclipse live this afternoon from the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta.

In Wapakoneta, which is in the path of totality, the moon will start to cover the sun at about 1:54 p.m., with complete darkness running from 3:09 p.m. to 3:13 p.m. Full light will return at 4:25 p.m.

Stay tuned for live coverage of the eclipse all day.

—Doral Chenoweth, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

Eclipse day festivities already underway along the path of totality

Tony Achilles, a radio producer at 89.5 WPKN, came from the Chicago area to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, where he's been since Friday.

Set up on a small grassy hill, Achilles said he's going to capture video and sounds as the eclipse happens.

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Achilles said the weather is looking much better than he expected. But, he’s ready to head north if things look cloudy come eclipse time.

Achilles was one of hundreds of people at the museum, many in line to go inside when it opened at 9 a.m. There’s a line out to the adjacent Interstate 75 overpass to get into the museum parking lot and many people are walking around with blankets and camping chairs as they get ready for viewing.

Achilles came to Wapakoneta because it’s in the eclipse's path of totality. Here, viewers will get almost four minutes of the total eclipse, almost twice as long as in Dayton. Achilles also said Venus, Jupiter and possibly mercury should also be visible during the eclipse.

—Danae King, reporting from Wapakoneta, the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.

Will any nocturnal animals come out during the eclipse?

While Ohioans are looking to the sky during the eclipse, they may also see some animals behaving strangely.

There's a long history of animals behaving strangely during solar eclipses and scientists at zoos have studied their behavior.

The shadow cast by the total solar eclipse could make some animals think it's dusk when it's really the afternoon.

At least 12 different nocturnal species may wake up along the eclipse's path of totality, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Here's what animals Ohioans should be on the lookout for as the eclipse reaches its peak this afternoon.

• Big Brown Bat

• Striped Skunk

• Raccoon

• Barred Owl

• Great Horned Owl

• Northern Mockingbird

• Northern Ring-necked Snake

• Common Snapping Turtle

• Spring Peeper

• American Toad

• Stinging Rose Caterpillar Moth

• Rosy Maple Moth

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

It's eclipse day. Here's what National Weather Service says to expect in Ohio's path of totality

In Columbus, eclipse watchers can expect mostly sunny skies, with a high near 73 degrees.

In Cleveland, the largest city in the path of totality, viewers can expect it to be partly sunny with a high near 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Dayton, which is also in the eclipse's path, will see mostly sunny skies with a high near 74 degrees. Wapakoneta, the hometown of the first man on the moon Neil Armstrong, will experience a mostly sunny day with a high near 72 degrees.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

Is ODOT reporting any traffic issues for the eclipse so far?

As of 9 a.m. Monday morning, the Ohio Department of Transportation had not reported any major highway congestion or traffic accidents as people descend on the eclipse's path of totality throughout Ohio.

But, that could change as the afternoon draws closer and following the eclipse, ODOT officials have said.

Ohio will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the eclipse today.

Between 150,000 to 575,000 people could arrive in the Buckeye state to watch the total solar eclipse cast its shadow over Ohio. And visitors will likely head to all different areas of the state, with the 124-mile-wide path of totality crossing Ohio from the southwest corner to the northeastern edge.

In central Ohio and southwestern parts of the state, drivers may experience some gridlock in the morning, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

But the biggest traffic backups could occur once the eclipse ends.

The heaviest flow of traffic is forecast to hit the roads in the afternoon, according to ODOT. Some of Ohio's most major highways could be backed up for hours as people head home after the eclipse, the agency has said.

The worst of the highway congestion could occur in northwest Ohio between Toledo and Findlay, which is the closest viewing area for eclipse chasers from Michigan. Portions of Interstate 71 and Interstate 270 in the Columbus area may also experience backups, according to ODOT.

ODOT's map of traffic forecasts for the solar eclipse is available online.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

What time will the solar eclipse occur near me?

The total eclipse will last for only a few minutes, making it important to know exactly when to stop and look up toward the sky.

Although Columbus is just outside the path of totality, the city will still get to see roughly 99% of the total eclipse. The moon will begin to pass over the sun at 1:55 p.m. in Columbus and the eclipse is expected to peak at 3:12 p.m. in the capitol city with the moon moving past the sun by 4:26 p.m.

Cleveland, the largest Ohio city in the path of the eclipse, will experience the peak between 3:13 p.m. and 3:17 p.m., according to NASA.

Use the ZIP code tracker below to find out when the eclipse begins, ends and reaches a peak in your neighborhood.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

Are there any eclipse events in the Columbus area?

Solar-bration at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

• 4850 W. Powell Road

• 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Included with zoo admission

• COSI will bring a hands-on activity and demonstrate how the moon blocks the sun during a solar eclipse. Columbus Recreation and Parks will host a trivia game centering around eclipse and conservation questions and Velvet Ice Cream will offer a special "SUNdae."

COSI Solar Eclipse Experience 2024

• 333 W. Broad St.

• Free with tickets to COSI available for those who want to do more

• 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• COSI will offer hands-on educational STEAM demonstrations and activities, a live video stream of the eclipse in totality, free solar eclipse glasses and STEAM kits while supplies last.

Eclipse watch party at Land-Grant Brewing Co. with COSI

• 424 W. Town St.

• 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Land-Grant is hosting a watch party with free eclipse glasses and will have its beer collaboration with COSI, Black IPA, Totality available to drink on tap.

Columbus Metropolitan Library and COSI Solar Eclipse Watch Party

• 96 Grant Ave.

• 1 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.

• Families can take part in hands-on science activities and hear stories about space and the solar eclipse.

Dublin in the Dark

• Riverside Crossing Park, 6635 Riverside Drive, and Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald Parkway

• 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• A DJ and other entertainment will be available at each of these watch parties.

Under the Sun: Solar Eclipse Viewing

• The Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Road

• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Hands-on activities will be available and representatives from the Newark Earthworks will be there to discuss the astronomy and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and solar eclipse viewers to use.

—Max Filby, reporting from Columbus, which will experience 99% of the total eclipse.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Solar Eclipse 2024: Photos, videos, stories from Monday event