Kokomo gets perfect look at eclipse
Hundreds turn out at gatherings for once-in-a-lifetime event
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It was an event that won’t return to Kokomo for centuries; a celestial occurrence that had people all over the U.S. searching for the perfect place to view the total solar eclipse on April 8. It turns out the City of Firsts was one of the best places on the planet to see it.
The clouds were thin and high, and the eclipse was on perfect display. While totality was brief locally, the view couldn’t be beat. But the people of Kokomo weren’t alone in watching the eclipse.
A partial eclipse could be viewed almost anywhere in the continental U.S., and an estimated 250 million people attempted to catch totality as the moon’s shadow streaked 4,000 miles across North America in less than two hours.
Kokomo had the unusual distinction of sitting on the border of totality, meaning northern residents of the city would not see totality by staying at home, while those in the south got a little less than a minute of totality viewing.
Fortunately for those attending Dark at the Diamond in Kokomo Municipal Stadium got a glimpse of totality, as the estimated border actually was a bit farther north than originally calculated. Viewers at Indiana University Kokomo got to view the eclipse in all its stages through telescopes as IUK Physics Professor Patrick Motl explained some of the more interesting things to view along with the eclipse.
A large group of watchers gathered at Jackson Morrow Park for a bit of fun and a great view of the eclipse. And at the Kokomo Howard County Library’s south branch, hundreds attended for some pre-eclipse antics, such as Drums Alive demonstrations, an obstacle course and building blocks, snacks, and music.
The eclipse was on display throughout the local events. Sunspots were clearly visible to those with a magnified view from the outset around 1:45 p.m., and when totality arrived at 3:07 p.m., Venus shone brightly to the southwest of the sun. But it was difficult to take eyes off the eclipse.
As the last piercing glimpse of the sun disappeared, totality came into remarkably sharp view. The white and pinks of the sun’s corona were unmistakable, and those in attendance at the Kokomo Howard County Public Library’s eclipse event varied in their response.
Some fell silent as the profound nature of the eclipse struck them. Others shouted exclamations of anxious excitement, so filled by the experience that they couldn’t contain themselves. The eclipse lived to up to the hype, at least for Kokomo and Howard County.
And, as expected, traffic became a snarl on the main thoroughfares. In nearby Galveston, for instance, vehicles heading north on Ind. 35 found themselves in a back-up that reached the Howard-Cass county line at around 6 p.m.
It will be 21 years before another total eclipse crosses the U.S. The next eclipse of consequence visible here will take place on Aug. 12, 2026, followed by a partial eclipse on Nov. 14, 2031, and another on March 30, 2033.
See more photos from the eclipse events by visiting www.kokomolantern.com or the Kokomo Lantern Facebook page or group.