After nearly an hour of hide-and-seek clouds, the sky cleared just in time for the large crowd gathered on the UNC Asheville campus to witness part of the peak of Monday’s partial solar eclipse.
A wave of heads wrapped in paper and protective lenses tilted upward in unison, accompanied by a chorus of delight echoing through the crowd.
"Yayyy!"
“I see it! Can you see it?"
“There it is – the crescent!”
"It's just wondrous, this sun that we often take for granted. It's an out-of-this-world experience," exclaimed Sananda Sahoo, her face lighting up as she lifted her head from one of the many telescopes set up in a parking lot.
"I've seen so many of my students here, and it gives us a sense of community. This public viewing event is rare in today's world, providing a communal experience that brings us together."
The viewing, hosted by the UNCA Physics Department and Astronomy Club of Asheville, drew a mix of students, faculty and locals and was one of many held across Western North Carolina. Although Monday’s eclipse only reached obscuration levels of 85 to 87%, the crowd's enthusiasm was palpable as the moon passed between the Sun and Earth – albeit not aligning perfectly in this part of the country.
But it was just enough for Marla Milling and her son Ben, who also saw the total eclipse that passed over part of Western North Carolina in 2017.
“This was still very impressive,” she said. “And the clouds broke just in time to let that little sliver of light come through.”
“I could see the Moon blocking the sun,” Ben chimed in, “and it looked good up there – it was definitely worth coming out to see.”
UNCA senior Meghan Sedberry, one of the many volunteers, nodded in agreement as she adjusted a telescope.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? I mean, it's perfect that the sky cleared up right at the peak," Sedberry said.
"Just watching the clouds dissipate and everyone rushing to look up or through the telescopes— it's pure happiness!"
