Keep your eyes to the sky: Michigan welcomes 2 eclipses in 2 weeks

Stargazers rejoice: In the next month, Michiganders can catch sight of a lunar and a solar eclipse within two weeks of each other.

The first will be a total lunar eclipse on May 26, the first in nearly 2½ years, according to NASA. Two weeks later, on June 10, there will be an annular solar eclipse.

When can I see it?

The lunar eclipse will be visible around 5:45 a.m. until the moon sets at 6:05 a.m. The total eclipse will not be visible, as the moon will set in Michigan before the eclipse reaches totality. Michiganders watching will be able to see part of the moon turning red as it enters the earth's shadow. Accuweather.com forecasts intermittent clouds on the morning of May 26.

According to The Old Farmers Almanac, there will also be a super moon during the eclipse, the last super moon of 2021. The moon will set before it reaches peak illumination in Michigan, so the almanac recommends taking a look the night before.

The annular solar eclipse will be visible on June 10. In an annular eclipse, the moon does not cover all of the sun. Instead, a ring of sunlight will be visible around the moon. The eclipse will be visible from about 5:50 a.m. until 9:11 a.m. Accuweather.com predicts the weather will be mostly sunny.

As the sun rises, only part of this eclipse will be visible from our location, said Paulette Epstein, planetarium director, staff astronomer and solar system ambassador at the Michigan Science Center.

While seeing two eclipses so close together may seem like a treat, Epstein says this is fairly common because of how the moon orbits the earth. On its current path, it lines up in a way that blocks some of the sun and all of the moon.

According to NASA's eclipse summary, the next eclipse visible from North America will be a partial lunar eclipse on Nov. 19.

How do I get the best view?

To get the best possible view of the lunar eclipses, you will need an unobstructed view of the horizon, said Will Clarkson, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Places like a city park or a tall building would be good place to watch the horizon, he said.

What do I need for my viewing?

According to Epstein, the only thing you need to view the lunar eclipse is your eyes. However, a solar eclipse is never safe to look at with the naked eye. Esptein suggests using a pinhole projector to view the annular solar eclipse. By poking a hole in a piece of paper or cardstock with a pin, you can project the sun onto the ground and view its shape. Eclipse glasses leftover from the 2017 solar eclipse are also safe to use as long as there are no holes in the glasses or expiration dates listed.

Can I take pictures?

If you would like to take pictures of the lunar eclipse, the only thing you'll need is a camera or a cell phone. Solar eclipses are more complicated. Clarkson recommends using a solar filter to keep the camera from getting damaged. Nikon also offers tips for photographing solar eclipses on its website.

For a particularly unique photo, Clarkson says to look for a tree.

"When sunlight filters through the tree, you get lots of individual projections of the eclipse. That can look pretty cool," he said.

What do astrologers have to say?

"This full moon eclipse is taking place in Sagittarius, so the lesson for people is to walk in integrity, and to practice what they preach and to live in truth and honesty," said Chrishara Wilkes, staff astrologer at Charmed Noir in Detroit.

This event will highlight the shadow aspect of Sagittarius for people who have not resolved issues of regret, resentfulness and competitiveness. Because Sagittarius is a fire energy, it deals with feelings of anger and aggression. Wilkes says we will see more of those emotions highlighted, as they are intensified by the eclipse and the full moon.

The solar eclipse also brings its own message of authenticity. According to Wilkes, these events are tied together, with the solar eclipse taking place on the opposite axis in Gemini. This highlights truth and honesty, asking us to live in authenticity, and bringing awareness to the lies we tell ourself and where we are being lied to as a collective, Wilkes said

"It's really the axis of morals and values that's being lit up by these eclipses," Wilkes said.

Follow Breaking News Intern Kyle Davidson on Twitter @JrnDavidson.