The Great American Eclipse

Monday’s solar eclipse parties in Greensboro began with clouds and rain but the excitement of the day was not lost. Stargazers dined on astronomy themed confections such as Moon Pies, Milky Way candy bars and cake decorated with the sun and moon. Some Greensboro residents waited patiently at Center City Park for a few rapidly moving storms to clear the area in order to view the Great American Eclipse. Greensboro residents were able to view the tail end of the eclipse as the sun peeked back out from behind the moon. Stargazers were also able to experience daytime almost becoming twilight.

Millions of people across the United States saw one of nature’s most spectacular sight s- a total eclipse of the Sun as totality swept across the nation from the Pacific to the Atlantic. According to the Web site greatamericaneclipse.com, an eclipse is a cosmic billiard shot — the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up to reveal the Sun’s atmosphere, its corona.

Andrews, North Carolina, located in the Great Smokey Mountains, was on the centerline of the path of totality and saw the eclipse for two minutes and 39 seconds. The town of Franklin enjoyed two minutes and 30 seconds. Since the path of totality in North Carolina was small, the moon’s shadow passed quickly. The total solar eclipse first touched North Carolina at 2:33 p.m. EDT and exited at 2:49 p.m. EDT. The next North American eclipse will take place in 2024 and will pass through major cities like Dallas Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Montreal, Canada.

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