The total eclipse that went over a swath of the nation today only caused the sun to dim here in Polk, but no full darkness came of this year’s crossing of paths between the orbits of sun and moon.

The Cedartown Public Library joined other branches across the region in hosting solar eclipse parties for the day, providing an educational experience locally for families whose kids are out of school for Spring Break 2024.

The event brought a few folks out to look through special viewers and even some welding masks to show off the partial eclipse over Polk County that occurred this afternoon.

Locally only 84% of the sun was blocked during the partial eclipse as compared with more than 90% back in 2017 during a total eclipse that included a path of totality over Northeast Georgia.

Solar eclipse viewers who wanted the full show had to travel to points across the path of totality starting in southwest Texas and ending in Northeast Maine, with points in between including Arkansas and Missouri, portions of Kentucky and Tennessee, the Midwest, Pennsylvania and New York and states further north before exiting viewing from land over eastern Canada.

Today’s eclipse will be the last coming into range of the area for a while. The next opportunities for the sun to dim over Polk for a partial eclipse will come in 21 years when in August 2045 an eclipse will cross California to the southeast and provide another chance for a partial event. Another in March 2052 will come close to Polk again.