WNIN's John Gibson was among the thousands who gathered on the Evansville riverfront to watch Monday’s total eclipse of the sun:
Among the eclipse-watchers was Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who heads up the state’s tourism efforts:
"Not only is this a celebration of a once-in-a-lifetime experience but it also is a huge economic activity and impact to the state of Indiana. What better place to be able to view it than my hometown of Evansville?
Speaking to Crouch about 90 minutes before totality, she said she expected a bigger crowd, but the crowd did grow as totality approached.
John Dunford of Dalton, Alabama was visiting his daughter, Bethany, who lives in Evansville.
He described what he was seeing through eclipse glasses during the early stages of the event:
"Just a little, small curve where the moon is starting to cover the sun."
And then shortly after 2 p.m., as WNIN’s John Gibson watched, totality arrived:
"We see essentially a dark circle in the sky with a ring of light around it. We're also seeing stars and planets coming out."
After the eclipse, Mrs. Dunford was thrilled:
"This was your first one, right? This was my first time and it was awesome and so exciting. Every little step of the way was just exciting to see the progress."
The eclipse cast an eerie twilight on the riverfront, clouds stayed at bay, and the sun was bright until it was blocked by the moon.
No major traffic issues were reported downtown.
After the eclipse, traffic was snarled on southbound Highway 41, including the southbound Twin Bridge.
