Eclipse Watching at ODU
Crowds to view the eclipse were expected to reach 1,000-1,200. However, the overwhelming support from the people of Hampton Roads quickly surpassed those expectations. Nearly 2,000 people crowded Kaufman Mall on Monday, August 21st to witness the much-anticipated solar eclipse. ODU was one of only three official NASA designated viewing locations in the Commonwealth.
The viewing event, held at Kaufman Mall from 1- 4:30 p.m (with maximum coverage at 2:45 p.m.) was a success according to attendee. NASA provided 1,000 eclipse glasses, and these were handed out in only 25 minutes! The University's Pretlow Planetarium did have telescopes on hand for viewing as well as games with prizes such as 'astronaut ice cream'.
"There' s about 14 states that will get to witness a total eclipse but everyone in the U.S. will see at least about 50 percent of it," said Justin Mason, the University's Pretlow Planetarium director. "The next one in the U.S. will be in 2024."
Virginia was not in the path of totality for this eclipse, unfortunately. Which means Virginians did not see the full coverage of the moon blocking the sun. In Hampton Roads, we did have approximately 86% coverage. However, sightseers in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North and South Carolina will witness the full eclipse. This event was nicknamed the 'Great American' eclipse because it's the first total eclipse to cross the U.S. coast-to-coast in almost 100 years.