Solar eclipse 2024: Rockford area residents party in the park
The solar eclipse arrived in Illinois as expected at 2:05 p.m. Monday.
Rockford was not in the path of totality for eclipse viewing, but plenty of people from the Rockford area were.
Vincennes, Indiana
Sarah Treadwell, a Rockford area resident who goes by the nickname "Space Case" on Facebook, took in the event from Vincennes, Indiana, which experienced totality.
"I think the thing that surprised me the most was it was so pretty, she said. "My son said it looked like a hole in space. The halo around the moon was so bright.
"I would like to see that again. I need another."
More: Total solar eclipse livestream: Watch live feeds from path of totality of historic eclipse
DeSoto, Illinois
Carol Beaman and her husband, Barry Beaman, of Rockford, traveled to a farm in southern Illinois outside of Carbondale to take in the total eclipse. The couple are veteran amateur astronomers.
It was the sixth eclipse they have watched and recorded. This time, however, they experienced the event through the eyes of their two granddaughters, Alannah, 20, and Addie, 11.
"This may have been the prettiest one yet that we've seen," Carol Beaman said. "That could've been because our granddaughters were here."
Addie is a sixth grader at West Middle School.
"She plans on proving that she definitely did something educational today," Beaman said. "She has pictures that she took with her own camera."
Many more viewed the eclipse from Rockford where 91% of the sun was blocked by the moon during the much-anticipated celestial event.
Spencer Park, Belvidere
Ginny Ferretti kept the kids home from school Monday to watch the solar eclipse.
At least that was the plan.
Her 5-year-old son, Franklin, curled up into her lap to take a nap at the darkest time of the event.
More: Illinois college student excited to see her second total solar eclipse in a year
Ferretti, 41, of Capron, brought Franklin, and her daughter, Carleigh, 8, to join more than 500 people at Spencer Park in Belvidere.
"I just brought them out for a little picnic," Ferretti said. "It was a good place for them to run around."
Estella Garcia, came with her husband, Gabriel, 69, of Capron. She thought it was going turn completely dark out, but instead was amazed at how much light there still was with 91% of the sun blocked by the moon.
She said she noticed something else, also.
"I can feel the temperature change," Garcia said. "It really dropped."
Ryan Brown, 22, of Belvidere, brought his 9-year-old dog, Evie, to the park. "I heard that animals will act differently during the eclipse," he said. "I just want to see what she will do."
The event, hosted by the Boone County Conservation District and the Ida Public Library, included two food trucks, the library's bookmobile and activities for the kids.
Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrstar.com and Twitter @chrisfgreen.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Solar eclipse: Rockford area residents celebrate celestial event
