Tom Skilling comes out of retirement for the solar eclipse

Michael Johnson
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — If you thought Tom Skilling would stay retired for a rare solar eclipse, think again.

As he says, this is “a life-altering event.”

Temps warming in Chicagoland this week, conditions for Monday’s solar eclipse looking good

He may have his feet up and be in casual attire, but Skilling is out of retirement — just for the moment — and on the scene in Southern Illinois to be a part of WGN-TV’s coverage of Monday’s solar eclipse event. Skilling joined the WGN Weekend Morning News on Sunday to talk about the solar eclipse, including reports from a small Illinois town at the nexus of it all.

That town is Makanda, which has a population just under 600 but has swelled this week as eclipse enthusiasts flock to the little town just south of Carbondale.

Solar eclipse: I’m not in the path of totality — do I still need to wear eclipse glasses?

Skilling reports that Makanda is the point at which the path of totality in the 2017 solar eclipse and the path of totality in Monday’s solar eclipse cross. This, Skilling says, happens once every 375 years.

Skilling says the “spirit is festive” in Makanda, and he talked to a couple from Crystal Lake who now live in Montana. They were in Makanda for the 2017 solar eclipse and drove all the way in from Montana for this one.

Speaking of that 2017 solar eclipse, Skilling was in Carbondale for that event and had a famously emotional reaction, which you can watch below:

Skilling reminisced Sunday on that moment.

“I broke down during the last eclipse,” he said. “I didn’t expect to react that way. This is a sensory extravaganza.

“… The shadows change, the colors change, the wildlife reacts to the onset of night in the middle of the day.”

What you need to know about Monday’s solar eclipse

We are, of course, thrilled to have Tom Skilling on hand for Monday’s solar eclipse once again and can’t wait to see his reaction this time.

Follow WGN’s Eclipse 2024 page for all the online coverage of Monday’s celestial extravaganza.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.