Charlotte May, 5, left, and her brother Mason May, 9, right, sport their eclipse viewing glasses while waiting with their family during the solar eclipse at the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
Angus “hopper” Gregory watches the solar eclipse with his sister Juno at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
Gina Montanarelli of Norfolk and dozens of others watch the eclipse from the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
The solar eclipse reached almost 80% coverage for viewers at the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
An eclipse enthusiast photographs the event with her cell phone from the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
Eric and Paige Ellis, of Colorado, watch the solar eclipse as it begins around 2:10 p.m. from the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
During the eclipse, light shining through the trees look like crescents on the ground at the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
Charlotte May, 5, holds her solar eclipse glasses to her eyes while waiting for totality of the solar eclipse at the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
Ryan Blackwell views the solar eclipse through his welding helmet at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
K.C. O’Handlon, right, and his fiancé Tracy Mimms relax in their beach chairs while viewing the solar eclipse from the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
People view the solar eclipse at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
Breanna May watches the solar eclipse from the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. May is a middle school science teacher and said she just finished a unit with her students about the solar eclipse. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
Thomas Kokkinakos, 13, of Virginia Beach and others gaze up at the eclipse from the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
Ruby, 6, from Gloucester views the solar eclipse through a telescope at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
A beach-goers strolls through crescent shaped shadows as a result of the solar eclipse at the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
Cassidy Merriweather, celebrating her 9th birthday today, holds solar eclipse glasses over her father Ryan’s eyes at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
Carol Bennett helps her mother Shirley, 91, view the solar eclipse at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
The Caldwell family, Krystal, Randall and Kaylee, enjoy the solar eclipse at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
The solar eclipse is reflected via a sunspotter tool at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. The sunspotter allows safe viewing of the eclipse. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
The solar eclipse creates crescent-shaped shadows on the ground at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
Children play outside of the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News after viewing the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)
Glenn Patton of Norfolk and friends enjoy the eclipse from the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
While waiting for the eclipse to progress, Ari Aviv, 6, of Virginia Beach and others roast marshmallows at the amphitheater at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on Monday, April 8, 2024. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot)
Charlotte May, 5, left, and her brother Mason May, 9, right, sport their eclipse viewing glasses while waiting with their family during the solar eclipse at the Virginia Beach, Virginia oceanfront on April 8, 2024. Virginia Beach received almost 80% total coverage. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
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Spectators across Hampton Roads craned their necks toward the sky for a chance to see the the annular solar eclipse as it sped across North America on April 8, 2024. Residents in the area had the opportunity to see around 80% coverage of the sun.
The events occur every one to three years somewhere around the globe, but are often only visible from Earth’s poles or from the middle of the ocean.