Residents were outside in droves looking right at the sun, with proper eyewear, of course, as the moon temporarily blocked the sun's light casting a shadow over the region Monday afternoon, April 8.
Cars lined up in parking lots across the state — engines off, phones out.
The Lemus boys have been learning about the eclipse at school, and joined their parents in the parking lot of a Paramus Starbucks to see it in real time.
"It's a big event for he family," Chris Lemus tells Daily Voice. "We wanted to make sure we got the most out of it — the full understanding."
Nearby was a group of complete strangers, all gathered to do work on the patio of the coffee shop.
Russ Donahue had the glasses, and graciously let others — including Freehold's Michael Mounter — take a peek.
"My wife is a middle school science teacher," he said. "This is a big day for her. She brought a 10-pack of glasses and left a pair for me on the counter."
The eclipse was expected to reach its peak in North Jersey at approximately 3:25 p.m.
The moon fully-blocked the sun along the 100-miles-wide path of totality, which spanned across parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, and Texas.
Have photos of your family watching the total solar eclipse? Email clevine@dailyvoice.com.
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