Throwback Thursday: Solar eclipses over the Cape Fear through the years

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As a solar eclipse makes headlines this week, this week’s Throwback Thursday looks back at three times people across the Cape Fear turned their eyes to the sky, with mixed results.

The latest edition of the WWAY archive series revisits solar eclipse coverage from 1984, 1994 and 2017.

In May 1984, students at Roland-Grise Middle School spent days learning about an upcoming solar eclipse and how to safely watch it.

But when the eclipse arrived, heavy clouds and rain completely blocked their view.

“I was really disappointed because I wanted to see something that I won’t be able to see again until 2017,” one student said. “It’s a learning experience for all of us, and nobody got to see it.”

Ten years later, people across the area were once again hoping to catch a glimpse of a solar eclipse.

Once again, clouds got in the way.

“Yeah, they’re a disappointment. I mean, you work a lot, you know, you sort of plan for it and you all, you know, excited for it and all that,” one person said. “But like I say, there’s always another time.”

That next time came in August 2017, when the Great American Eclipse brought watch parties across the Cape Fear.

One of those gatherings was held at WWAY’s former downtown station, where the eclipse reached about 96% to 97% coverage at its peak.

While the Cape Fear was outside the viewing area for this week’s solar eclipse, Wilmington’s next solar eclipse will be a partial eclipse in January 2028.

The segment is part of a weekly Throwback Thursday series that features stories from WWAY’s historical news archives. That archive can be accessed here.