Long Islanders Look to the Skies to Catch Rare Eclipse

Huntington residents viewed the partial solar eclipse in a variety of ways Monday, wearing protective eyewear to watch as the moon passed between the Earth and the sun, darkening the skies.

One Huntington couple chose to get married during the eclipse; others went to parks or other public spaces to watch the skies, or, as one group did, headed to Heckscher Park to listen to a poem and enjoy nature.

The moon blocked about 90 percent of the sun on Long Island, creating dark gray skies but didn’t shut out the light.

Western New York and other parts of the country were affected by a total eclipse and heavy  amounts of traffic as people poured into several communitites to see the rare event.

The Rev. Debra Haffner of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington engaged a group of members by reading a poem by Emily Dickinson at the Heckscher Park pond.

Steve Schanback and his son, Max, of Syosset, arrived at West Hills County Park ahead of the eclipse to ensure a good spot to view the event, noting the changes in the sky and appearance of the clouds as the eclipse began to show.

Huntington Mayor Herb Morrow officiated at the wedding of a Huntington couple who wore timed the ceremony to the max showing of the eclipse.