At 11:11 a.m. Monday — the exact moment a partial solar eclipse peaked above San Diego — a stray cloud moved out of the way, revealing a sharp orange crescent sun set against skies as blue as robins’ eggs.
The sight enthralled the roughly 3,000 observers gathered near the water fountain in Balboa Park, triggering spontaneous applause and dreamy oohs and ahs.
“It’s like a chunk was taken out of the sun,” said Ralph Petrocello of San Diego, who moments earlier was showing children how they could project the eclipse through the itsy-bitsy holes in a Ritz cracker and onto a white paper plate.
He didn’t regret that he wasn’t standing in the 115-mile wide path of totality that stretched from Texas to Maine.
“It’s raining in a lot of those places,” said Petrocello, a retired defense worker. “And I wouldn’t want to deal with the big crowds and travel.”
Similar scenes played out across San Diego County, where a region as big as Connecticut unexpectedly enjoyed mostly sunny skies.
“I don’t know if this is a coincidence, but the fair-weather cumulus clouds that were moving in just kind of disappeared during the eclipse,” said Liz Adams, a veteran forecaster at the National Weather Service. “They started to return afterward.”
Cassandra Ciesla, 28, back left, Ted Neeleman, 24, Haley Brousseau, 29, back right, and Tyler Farnan, 29, watch the solar eclipse at Balboa Park on Monday, April 8, 2024 in San Diego.
(Ana Ramirez/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
There were wonderful vantage points locally, from the breezy coastal bluffs in La Jolla to the pine-studded slopes of Julian to the Anza-Borrego desert, where a wondrous bloom of flowers is underway.
Balboa Park was among the most crowded spots. As it has done in the past, the Fleet Science Center threw a viewing party, setting up telescopes for the public and selling eclipse glasses to anyone who needed a pair. Staff also explained the phenomenon that had brought everyone together on a Monday morning.
The joy was infectious.
“Today’s my birthday,” said Toni Saia, an education professor at San Diego State University. “What a way to ring in my 32nd year!”
Bri Maloney and her partner Moon Wahal of San Diego lay face-up on the pavement next to the fountain, snuggling in the sun.
“I’m giddy,” Maloney said.
“I knew this was going to happen, but it’s cooler to actually see it,” added Wahal, watching the moon pass between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on Earth. “This is the best date I’ve ever had.”
Bear Gambito, 4, makes a solar vision box at Balboa Park on Monday.
(Ana Ramirez/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sue Brown of San Diego reveled in the fleeting sense of community. “We’re all here for a common purpose — to see something that many of us might never see again,” she said.
“I came by myself, and I’m making friends. We’re showing each other how to do different things.”
She was standing near Linda Burke of San Diego, who tilted her head toward the sun, captured by the moment.
“This is joyous,” Burke said. “Just joyous.”
