LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Star-gazers in Southern California turned their eyes to the sky on Monday morning, with hopes of experiencing the total solar eclipse, even though the Southland was treated only to a partial blocking of the sun by the moon and saw only about 62 percent of the sun obscured.
From school playgrounds, community centers, office public fields and house windows, people waited hours to catch a glimpse of the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in nearly a century.
Crowds gathered at viewing parties across the state of California in the west coast of the U.S., most notably at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, but also at the city parks and science facilities.
Thousands of star-gazers gathered outside Griffith Observatory to view the celestial event, which didn't disappoint the viewers. People parked at the foot of the mountain to avoid heavy traffic and cheered for the rare sky show.
Sky-watchers have fun with the shadows during the "Great American Eclipse". Some made hand shadows when peak eclipse occurred. Sun dappled the eclipse in the shade of the trees.
In West Los Angeles, dozens of people took a break from their work day and gathered on a parking garage roof to take in the spectacle, even though lingering clouds obscured the view, according to the City News Service.
"I am really interested in seeing this. It's pretty cool. But I thought it would be darker," sky-gazer Jennifer Fernandes told Xinhua. "I have downloaded many apps to help me view the eclipse," Fernandes added.
In reality, another solar eclipse is expected to reach totality across some of the United States in April 2024. A less sun-blocking "Ring of Fire" eclipse is expected on Oct. 14, 2023, and is expected to be visible from parts of California.
Local media warns people not to stare at the celestial event and damage their eyes, even if they do have eclipse glasses.
