by Geoff Fox
Midafternoon turned into late evening on Monday as a total eclipse darkened the skies on April 8.
The eclipse itself started just after 2:30 p.m. in the area. Around 3:19 p.m., the sun was 92% totally eclipsed. It lasted until after 4 p.m.
Schools in the area dismissed early with Southern Fulton dismissing school at 11:30 a.m., Hancock on a two and a half early dismissal, and Morgan County Schools dismissed students two hours early.
Our area only saw 92% total coverage, places like Erie, Pennsylvania, Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York, were experiencing 100% coverage. 
The path of the eclipse took it from the South Pacific Ocean and across North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada.
The landfall was Mexico’s Pacific Coast around 11:07 a.m. and exit at 5:16 p.m. off Newfoundland, Canada, Atlantic coast.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the face of the sun.
When this happens, people in the path of totality, the sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk and, weather permitting, people along that path will see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere. That atmosphere is usually obscured by the sun’s brightness.
You might be waiting for the next total solar eclipse to happen here in the United States as it won’t occur until August 23, 2044, and only shadow three states – Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota – according to NASA.
