A series of photographs of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse taken by Drumbeat Photography Editor Jack Ryant (pictured below). The images were captured using a Sony a6000 digital mirrorless camera, a 50mm f/1.8 lens, a tripod and eclipse glasses acting as a solar filter over the camera lens. The photographs were taken at Copley Community Park in an open area with a direct view of the eclipse. Ryant edited and compiled the images using Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.
Photos by Jack Ryant
By Max Zaher
By Max Zaher
May 8, 2024
If you’re reading this, you didn’t go blind from staring at the solar eclipse. Congrats!
On April 8th, 2024, Copley, Ohio was in the path of full-totality. This was the first total solar eclipse in Ohio in over 200 years—the last one was in 1806. The next total eclipse Ohioans can expect to pass over the Buckeye State will be in 2099, when the typical Copley freshman will be about 90 years old.
Senior Mariah Doss viewed the eclipse from Copley Community Park. She arrived early to help senior Drumbeat Photography Editor Jack Ryant set up a series of shots of the eclipse progression.
“Jack and I got out to the park around 12:30,” Doss said. “We took the best seats on the hill. He set up his equipment and then we sat and watched.”
Like many people who experience a total eclipse for the first time, the experience was awe-inspiring and unexpectedly emotional.
“90% coverage was a vast difference from 100% totality,” Doss said. “As soon as it hit [full] totality, the birds stopped chirping and the crickets started to play. We were starstruck. We did not expect it to be as invigorating as it was. For the rest of the day, Jack and I agreed that we didn’t believe what we witnessed. We took the rest of the day to process that feeling.”
Astronomy teacher Matthew Morgan shared his experience with the eclipse.
“I was fortunate enough to watch the eclipse at Progressive Field,” Morgan said. “To experience it with my wife and my newborn was great.”
This was not Morgan’s first experience witnessing a total solar eclipse.
“I drove down to Kentucky for the eclipse in 2017. It was amazing, probably one of the greatest sights I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” Morgan said.
After seeing their first total solar eclipse, Morgan’s family is eager to see another.
“Now, everyone wants to go see the next one,” Morgan said.
The next total solar eclipse visible in the United States will pass through North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana in 2044. “We’ve talked about taking a road trip out to see it,” Morgan said.
While the totality of the eclipse lasted just under 3 minutes, the celestial spectacle will remain in the viewers’ memories for years to come.
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