Solar Eclipse a Gray, Cloudy Washout in the Northland

No sun rays--only rain drops hit the eyes of those gathered at UMD planetarium.

If there was a place not to have a solar eclipse viewing party Monday, it was in the Northland.

But that did not stop the hopeful at UMD. Many stood in the rain, looking up at the sky, only to have raindrops on their faces instead of the sun in their eyes.

“Right now, just clouds, clouds and clouds,” said Mairen McNamara, a UMD freshman.

“We were hoping that we would be able to see at least a little bit of the solar eclipse. But, there is nothing but clouds in every direction and a cloudy forecast. So, most of the people that came out here, we can’t even see a difference,” Mairen said, laughing.

There was a chance to go inside the Alworth Planetarium and see a live stream of the eclipse in other parts of the country–regions where the weather gods blessed residents with clear skies.

But many at UMD were determined to experience what they could outside, and first-hand. So, it was a bit of a let-down for those who had really been waiting and hoping.

“It was something I had been looking forward to for a while,” said Mairen.

“And I was hoping that the clouds would disperse in time and that we would be able to see at least a little bit. I know that we’re not on the path of totality, so it wouldn’t be a complete solar eclipse, but I was looking forward to it, so I’m kind of bummed,” she said.

If you are thinking there is always ‘next time,’ you are correct. In the Northland, the next chance at a partial eclipse is 2045.

It’s a little longer wait for a full eclipse around here–how about 2099?

Hang on to those funky glasses.