Going to the Cleveland Guardian's home opener? You'll have a seat to the solar eclipse, too

Cleveland Guardians fans attending the team's home opener on April 8 will have some extra entertainment before the first pitch is even thrown: Front-row seats to a spectacular and rare total solar eclipse.

The first game of the season at Progressive Field coincides with the Great American Eclipse, which will temporarily shroud Cleveland in darkness as it traces a path across much of North America. Until the darkness lifts, starter Triston McKenzie will have to wait to throw out the first pitch against the Chicago White Sox, according the MLB.com.

Clevelanders weren't around when the last total solar eclipse passed through northeast Ohio in 1806, and they won't be around when the next one does in 2444. To make sure fans don't miss the chance to witness the moment of totality when the orbiting moon blocks the sun's light, the team is opening the ballpark’s gates at 2 p.m. that day.

That's around the time that the eclipse will begin in Cleveland. But it won't be until 3:13 p.m. that totality will occur and last four minutes, whereby observers will be able to see the outmost layer of the sun's atmosphere known as the corona.

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What time will the Guardians throw out the first pitch?

The home opener is schedule to begin at 5:10 p.m. ET, which is when the eclipse will have moved on from Northeast Ohio.

That's an hour later than home openers have started in previous seasons in Cleveland, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, a USA TODAY Network publication.

To prepare, the Guardians spent months working with city officials and NASA to settle on a time for the first pitch when the shroud of the eclipse would be sure to be lifted, the Beacon Journal reported.

What to know about the total solar eclipse

Cleveland is one of hundreds of cities in the United States located on the eclipse's path of totality along a southwest-to-northeast line across North America.

Like many major cities on the eclipse's path, including San Antonio and Dallas, Cleveland is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors for the celestial show.

Most schools will be closed for the day in Cleveland, and some residents in the city’s western suburbs are capitalizing on the celestial attraction by renting out their homes, the Associated Press reported.

“I think people are going to be generally super excited about it in the city,” McKenzie told MLB.com. “I think there’s going to be a large influx like in downtown and people just wanting to watch it, as well as people coming to the ballpark to watch it.”

See the eclipse's path:Interactive maps show where, when the eclipse will arrive

The 115-mile-wide path of totality will pass over portions of Mexico and the United States, ending in Canada. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 31 million Americans already live along the eclipse's path of totality cutting through 13 states, according to eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

You may want to see it while you can: For North America, the next total solar eclipse won't be until 2044, according to NASA.

What do you need to view the eclipse?

Unlike partial solar eclipses, a total eclipse offers spectators a unique opportunity to gaze upon it with the naked eye.

But until the moment when the moon completely blocks out the sun and ushers in a period of darkness, proper safety eyewear is still a must, according to NASA.

Certified eyewear is held to an international safety standard and is 100,000 times darker than most sunglasses to block nearly all visible, infrared and ultraviolet light. To make it easy, the American Astronomical Society maintains a curated list of approved vendors.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Ryan Lewis, the Akron Beacon Journal

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com