ATLANTA — Chances of seeing another eclipse in our lifetime are not for at least another 20 years now in the U.S., which is why Channel 2 Action News sent Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz to Dallas, Texas to show Channel 2 viewers what Monday’s eclipse looked like along the path of totality.
Dallas was one the very first major cities in the U.S. to see the eclipse to the day into night.
Nitz even met up with a family from Atlanta who wanted to experience the full-on eclipse.
“We extended Spring break for it, If you will,” The Jackson family said.
It’s a vacation the whole family will remember. For Preston Jackson, this is his second full eclipse to see.
“It got so dark, so fast. I feel like when I looked at the sun, it was black. It looked really cool,” Preston Jackson said.
One thing the entire family agrees on, is they want to do it again.
People all across North Georgia also put their eyes to the sky Monday as a partial solar eclipse slightly darkened our region.
There was no better place to see the eclipse than the Tellus Museum.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was at the museum on Monday as hundreds flocked to the science museum’s observatory.
The entire Mitchell family traveled from Acworth to Cartersville to watch the eclipse.
Dad, Mark, told Fernandes that all four of his children had been really looking forward to it.
“They were like we got to see it, we got to see it. This is our last chance in a hundred years, we’re not going to live to see the next one, so we’re like ‘We’ll go, we’ll go,’” Mark Mitchell said.
Hundreds of people spread out across the lawn and looked up to the sky with their safety glasses on. There were also lots of little telescopes.
And many folks waited in line to look through the huge telescope in the observatory. The Tellus has one of the only public observatories in the state.
That’s why the Tellus Museum was a destination to watch the eclipse.
“First of all, the science museum is really fun, and also we want to see the eclipse but not to drive all the way to Kentucky,” Ayla Boshela-Pusso said.
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The museum was actually selling eclipse glasses on Sunday, but there was so much anticipation for Monday they had to cut off sales at one point, so they had enough for all the observers who came to watch the eclipse.
An elementary school in Gwinnett County threw a big party to view the solar eclipse.
Students, teachers and parents at Harbins Elementary all gathered outside to enjoy the big show in the sky.
Channel 2′s Bryan Mims was at the school as the kids danced to some sunny songs from a D.J. and crowded onto a field, with their families, waiting to be wowed by the dance of the sun and moon.
“I’m really like looking forward to like seeing the moon get in front of the sun because I’ve never got to see a solar eclipse before,” fourth grader Ashlyn Stallworth said.
Her parents came along for the show.
Ashlyn has been learning all about the phenomenon in school but has never seen one with her own eyes.
“The sun and the moon and the earth line up together,” Ashlyn said.
As the music played, the moment neared.
A little after 1:45 p.m., the moon carved out a sliver of the sun.
Everybody, of course, sported those protective glasses and gazed into the sky.
Brielle Osei-Akoto, a fifth grader, stood in awe.
“I’m so excited because I get to see what it’s like and how it kind of affects the day and stuff,” Brielle said,
Her little sister, 8-year-old Arielle, is in the second grade.
She knows what a rare sight she just witnessed.
“The next time I’ll see that I’ll be 28,” Arielle said.
The school’s principal, Dr. Jimmy Lovett had the idea to throw this eclipse-viewing party.
He did the same thing at Grayson Elementary School during the last eclipse in 2017.
In both places, the kids, parents and teachers loved it.
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