Airlie Gardens hosts eclipse viewing party

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– All eyes were on the sky this afternoon in New Hanover County for the 2024 solar eclipse. 

Airlie Gardens invited people to the Oak Lawn to witness the eclipse.  

Before the eclipse started, attendees had the opportunity to learn the science behind eclipses from the environmental educators of the gardens.   

There were glasses, binoculars, and even telescopes available for people to view the eclipse safely 

Julia Kjelland is an Environmental Education Assistant with Arlie Gardens. 

She says although we didn’t see much darkness, it was still a worthwhile experience.   

“Three fourths of the sun was covered by the moon, so it did get darker, the temperature dropped a little bit, and people were able to see a good view of like a crescent shaped sun,” said Kjelland.  

The path of totality, which is where 100 percent of the sun is blocked by the moon, included cities like Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, and Buffalo.    

If you missed the eclipse this afternoon, the next total solar eclipse to affect most of the US won’t be until 2044.