Eclipse offers memorable moments

The solar eclipse fought its way through the clouds across Western New York on Monday.

On Grand Island, photographer Nathan Keefe took these photos that show the moments before and after totality. The moon, in an extremely close encounter on its earthly orbit, blocked out the sunlight along a diagonal path that included Grand Island and points southwest and northeast.

Suddenly, it was as dark as midnight, and the temperature drop was palpable. Some took their eclipse glasses off for the moments when the sky went all black, at the predicted 3:18 p.m. In four minutes that held us in their grip as if in an eternity, the skies unveiled a surprise, then returned to normal.

These photos were taken in front of the 7-Eleven, where there was a clear view as the solar event unfolded.

Elsewhere on Grand Island, people gathered at Beaver Island State Park, where a day of activities was planned with vendors, bounce houses, lawn games, volleyball, a fun run, live music and kayak trips along the Niagara River. Others gathered in their yards to view an event they’ll remember for a lifetime.

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In the Town of Wheatfield, the Lions Club hosted a gathering at Five Senses Park.

“Amazing,” Lion Walt Garrow said. “We only got to see pre-eclipse slight slivers of sun, through the clouds. However, the total eclipse presented an awesome spectacle. There was significant darkness and a noticeable coldness in the air. At peak, all those present broke out into an applause. We could even hear fireworks in the distance. The Lion's Club's outdoor solar lights went on.”

Town of Wheatfield Lions Club photos