(CHICAGO) Despite occasional clouds the Chicago Park District held solar eclipse viewing parties in 20 parks.
Families and co-workers arrived by the dozens as the sky grew darker and the air cooler on Monday afternoon. Chicago resident Kenya Duran worried about her 5-year-old son’s eyes as she sat on a blanket with him in Hamlin Park. She built a viewing box from instructions on the Internet, and she had a pair of eclipse viewing glasses.
Nathan drew a picture of a sad-faced sun with a smiling moon above it. He was in the picture too, wearing his eclipse glasses.
Nearby, three generations of 12-year-old Shreyas Verma’s family watched together as the eclipse neared. His grandfather Rakesh Johri called the eclipse “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Meanwhile, downstate. about 14,000 people filled Southern Illinois University’s Saluki Stadium in Carbondale to watch Monday’s total solar eclipse.
SIU spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith says some clouds appeared about 6 minutes before the eclipse was to reach totality and “the entire stadium was cheering the clouds away.” Goldsmith says during the totality it was very quiet in the stadium but “at the end of it people were giving each other high fives” and there was more cheering.
Experts have said the eclipse was to reach its great point of duration a few miles south of Carbondale.
The school’s event included 20-person suites for $10,000. SIU also had live eclipse video on the stadium scoreboard and marching band performances. Eclipse safety glasses were provided.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner attended the viewing event.
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