Tourism leaders say Indianapolis will be “The Eclipse Capital of the Midwest” as the sun, moon and earth align for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to soak in a total solar eclipse. Photo courtesy of Indiana News Service.

By Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service

INDIANAPOLIS —Skygazers were disappointed this week when scientists canceled predictions to see the spectacular Northern Lights from Indiana. However, something just as impressive is coming next spring, and Hoosiers will have the best seat in the house to see it.

Tourism leaders say Indianapolis will be “The Eclipse Capital of the Midwest” as the sun, moon and earth align for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to soak in a total solar eclipse.

Brian Murphy, director of Butler University’s Holcomb Observatory, said the event will begin at 3:06 p.m. on April 8.

“It will be big. I mean, we’re talking Super Bowl big,” he said. “In fact the last one that passed over Indianapolis – at least Marion County – [was] 819 years ago. And it’s basically, from Frankfort down to almost the Ohio River, we’ll experience the sun disappearing for about three to four minutes.”

The Circle City plans a weekend-long party with gatherings, films, special performances and lectures. Indianapolis Motor Speedway will open its gates for fans to look up, and NASA has accepted an invitation to broadcast live from the track and answer questions about the eclipse.

Murphy said portions of a total eclipse have been seen many times before in Indiana – but this one will be unforgettable.

“When you have a total, though, it’s a thing that will stop people in their tracks,” he said. “They’ll literally think the world is ending. And that actually happened with my brother when the 2017 path passed over, and some woman jumped out of her car. She didn’t realize it was going to be happening and thought it was the end of the earth.”

Indianapolis will not be within the path of totality again until 2153, 130 years from now.