Bronxites headed outside Monday afternoon to catch a glimpse of the partial solar eclipse event.
At Yankee Stadium, fans flocked for one of the most-watched natural events in history on April 8 that just happened to coincide with a baseball game.
Jeremy Krugman of Long Island, 21, called today’s game a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
“I go to, like, 12 games a year. But with the eclipse being at this game, I’m really really excited,” he told the Bronx Times.
As New York City experienced a partial solar eclipse, some baseball fans got in line at the stadium at least three hours before game time to take in the spectacle.
Monday’s game time versus the Miami Marlins was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. but rescheduled for just after 6 p.m. to avoid game delays.
With eclipse mania building for weeks — and mostly clear, sunny weather to help the cause — fans brought a festive and reverent mood to the stadium well ahead of the first pitch.
The loudspeakers played celestial-themed tunes like Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay and “Starships” by Nicki Minaj. Although the stadium did not fully darken as some fans might have anticipated, the big screens projected an image of the crescent as the moon aligned in front of the sun.
Those who arrived early were also rewarded with commemorative T-shirts marking the date and the phrase “Eclipse the competition” on the back.
There was also a large turnout in Roberto Clemente State Park for the eclipse.
The day was special for Bronxites and people around the world — and it will be a long time before New Yorkers will see anything like this again. NYC last experienced totality in 1925, and there is not projected to be another total solar eclipse over the state until 2079.
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