Tracey Edens and Noah Edens, 8, share a pair of eclipse glasses Monday morning at George Washington Park in Centralia.
Monday’s eclipse seen through a welding helmet.
Buddy Croy, an officer with the Centralia Police Department at Centralia College for training Monday morning, uses his cell phone to view the eclipse.
Aaron Salmon, a Centralia College student, views the eclipse Monday morning through cereal box projector he and others made in class.
Dina Frey, right, looks at the eclipse with granddaughter Erica Phillips Monday morning at Centralia College. They were some of the first people to show up to see the spectacle.
Marjie Hixson looks at the eclipse Monday morning through a loaned pair of eclipse glasses at Centralia College. While not all had the special glasses, most were willing to share.
Rieva Lester, clerk of the Board of Lewis County Commissioners, looks at the solar eclipse on Monday from the commissioners hearing room.
Candy Hallom, right, helps Commissioner Bobby Jackson take a photo of the solar eclipse through special viewing glasses in the commissioners hearing room on Monday.
Candy Hallom, an employee in the commissioners office, takes a photo of the solar eclipse through special viewing glasses on Monday in the commissioners hearing room at the courthouse.
Public Works Director Erik Martin attempts to take a photo of the solar eclipse while Commissioner Bobby Jackson watches from the commissioners hearing room on Monday.
David Walter Charles Comfort, 8, of Toledo, views the solar eclipse through welding equipment in downtown Chehalis on Monday.
Kelli Voyles, a Book ’n’ Brush employee, helps David Walter Charles Comfort, 8, of Toledo, situate welding headgear on Monday to view the solar eclipse as his grandfather Gene Miles, 65, looks on.
Candy Hallom, an employee in the commissioners office, takes a photo of the solar eclipse through special viewing glasses on Monday in the commissioners hearing room at the courthouse.
Eager eclipse watchers congregated in public spaces throughout Lewis County and across the country Monday afternoon to view the first total coast-to-coast eclipse in the United States since 1918.
Viewers began gathering in the Twin Cities about an hour before the eclipse was predicted to reach its peak, which NASA estimated to be about 10:19 a.m.
“It’s more than I expected,” said Erica Phillips, who watched the eclipse with family at Centralia College.
According to NASA, the event was the first total, coast-to-coast eclipse in the United States since 1918. Another solar eclipse was visible in Washington in 1979.
Gene Miles, 65, of Toledo, remembers seeing that one, but he said this time around it held a stronger meaning for him as he was able to view the eclipse with his grandson, calling it a once in a lifetime experience.
“It’s good that he’s old enough and able to remember this when he’s my age,” Miles said, stating his grandson would likely be able to share a similar experience one day with grandkids of his own.
David Walter Charles Comfort, 8, excitedly talked about what he saw through a welding helmet in front of Book ‘n’ Brush in Chehalis.
He was able to view it twice, once near the Gail and Shaw Aquatic Center and the second time in downtown Chehalis.
The welding helmet was provided by Kelli Voyles, an employee at Book ‘n’ Brush. As people walked by the store, she offered up her husband’s welding equipment for those who didn’t have the proper eye protection to view the eclipse.
“I thought it was just an outstanding way to see humanity come together,” she said, adding it provided the community a chance to connect in a positive way while not focusing on other problems.
County employees also took in the sight of the eclipse near the Lewis County Courthouse. The Board of Lewis County Commissioners adjourned its meeting just in time to witness the event from the windows of the second floor of the courthouse.
Others took in the view from the top of the Public Health and Social Services building across the street.
As the eclipse progressed, the skies over Washington dimmed, but didn’t totally darken. The temperature also dropped briefly as the moon blotted out the sun.
Most looked through their eclipse glasses for the first time and were surprised at what they saw.
“It’s oddly dim,” Mac Murphy said of the sun as the eclipse was just starting. “It looks like the moon.”
Ryan Murphy also watched the event from Centralia College, and said he missed the last eclipse to pass over the country in 1979.
“The one that came through in ’79, I was in third grade in Wyoming,” he said. “The teachers wouldn’t even let us out of the classroom.”
It was a different story at the college Monday morning. Some professors let students out early to see the eclipse or designed the day’s lesson around the once-in-a-lifetime event.
“It’s pretty amazing you get to come to school and this is what we get to do,” said Marjie Hixson.
Teacher Preston Kiekel’s math class made cereal-box eclipse projectors before heading out to the quad to watch the action.
“It’s amazing,” Kiekel said. “I let class out early because I figured this is a really rare occurrence.”
While others used special eclipse glasses or welding masks, others went old school. Robotics and math teacher John Steidel also made a viewer out of a cardboard box.
“This was high-tech back in my first eclipse,” he said.
