Drawn together by the moon and their sun, the inhabitants of Earth stood united during one special moment Monday to witness the cosmic spectacle of a solar eclipse. People of all ages, races, and philosophies communed in a joyous spirit as they peered skyward to take in the rare event at locations across America.
Hundreds amassed on the commons of Suffolk Community College in Selden to watch as the moon passed perfectly between the Earth and its star. Donning dark eclipse glasses to protect their eyes, viewers at first saw the moon take a small bite out of the sun. As the minutes passed, it shadowed more and more of the orange orb until it covered it completely.
What was a warm spring afternoon became noticeably colder as the life-giving rays of the sun were blotted by the satellite and the land became darker. The crowd buzzed at the moment of totality and then watched as the sun, appearing as would a crescent moon, grew back to its usual size.
“It was a unifying event at a time when people are divided,” said one participant who, though wanting to remain anonymous, felt she spoke for everyone brought together by the eclipse. “We may just be a mere speck in the cosmos, but we are part of it; we are from it, and that’s such a comforting thought.”
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