Rare solar eclipse brings mass of spectators to Little Rock's River Market

Eclipse spectators clad in solar-filter glasses look up to the sky on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017 in Little Rock's River Market.
Eclipse spectators clad in solar-filter glasses look up to the sky on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017 in Little Rock's River Market.

Onlookers paraded through Little Rock’s River Market with their eyes to the heavens as one of two solar eclipses set within the next decade touched off a torrent of attention and intrigue.

Crescent-shaped glimmers of light shined through a vine-covered walkway along the riverfront, changing in size as the eclipse neared its crest — with the moon casting a gradual shadow over the sun, muting the afternoon sky.

Some inside the walking path had merely sought shelter from the midday rays of light, while others were mesmerized by the shapes speckled onto much of the concrete sidewalk.

As the eclipse reached its peak, a mass of people haphazardly situated along the banks of the Arkansas River turned their eyes southward toward a dimmed sky, appearing in awe of the rare sight.

Shouts of “This is so cool” and “Whoa” could be heard among a crowd of school-aged children and their families at the climactic moment.

Most viewed with filtered glasses made of paper that had been fashioned using unique designs.

Others in the crowd gazed at the eclipse through homemade contraptions — cardboard boxes of all shapes with pinholes piercing through to view the eclipse.

“I just hope that this kind of event inspires people to be interested in science,” said Kathleen Gilbert, 65, of Little Rock, a longtime astronomy enthusiast who had crafted her own viewing box.

Around noon, many soon-to-become spectators had filled Little Rock’s Museum of Discovery, taking in astronomy-centered demonstrations aimed at giving attendees a hands-on lesson in what was to come an hour later.

Bursts of flames, pops of hydrogen-filled balloons and illustrations of the casting of shadows entertained young and old alike inside the museum.

For two parents who had lived through the Feb. 26, 1979, eclipse as children, Monday’s event was the first time they and their own children were able to view the spectacle.

While a curious sixth-grader at the now-shuttered Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Little Rock, Carla Fennessee, now 49, of Little Rock said that she “knew better” than to peer to the sky while on the playground during that display.

“Back then, it wasn’t as big of a deal. I mean, it was a big deal but social media makes it even more of a big deal,” Fennessee said, calling the wonderment around Monday's eclipse "awesome."

Amber McCuien, 48, of North Little Rock remembers nothing of the eclipse decades ago while a fifth-grader at Oak Grove Elementary School in North Little Rock. This time around, she said, she felt it important to bring her 11-year-old daughter so that both could take in in the historic moment.

"I think it's interesting that it lines up perfectly," McCuien's daughter Addison said of the moon overshadowing the much larger sun.

McCuien, a teacher at Little Rock’s Central High School, said that she allowed her child to skip school for the day to catch the event. Several other parents had followed suit, calling the eclipse a teaching opportunity.

Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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