Faryn Bomser and a dozen family members from across the U.S. arrived in Buffalo with a dual purpose: to witness the solar eclipse and honor the wishes of her mother-in-law, who died a year and a half ago.
“She always wanted to come to this. She would talk about it. So, it became a family plan for years,” Bomser said Monday as she held her 18-month-old daughter, Melody.
The Bomsers were among the thousands of visitors who made their way to Western New York to experience the once-in-a-lifetime event Monday. They chose Sahlen Field in downtown as their vantage point on the total solar eclipse path of totality.
“It’s a bit of a bummer that it’s gonna be overcast and yesterday was so beautiful,” she said of the cloudy skies.
Timothy P. McClanahan, the planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, also was on hand and said he remained “excited and optimistic” before the eclipse swept into the region.
“I have anecdotal evidence,” he said, recalling the eclipse event in Kansas City in 2017, where it rained up till 10 minutes before totality. The clouds opened up, making way for a spectacular view of the totality, he said.
When it arrived at 2:04 p.m. above Sahlen Field, visitors could see it unfold on and off through the clouds.
Several events took place in the region. The one at the home of the Buffalo Bisons baseball team was among the most popular, since the ballpark was on the centerline of totality, where people had a shot at the best view.
About 6,000 free tickets were distributed over the weekend for the event.
Gatherers heard from NASA…
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