IOWA, USA — Though Iowa was not in the path of totality, many across the metro stepped outside Monday afternoon to catch a glimpse of the rare solar eclipse.
At the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines, crowds gathered, including some students from nearby Central Campus.
"We walked all the way down here, w which was pretty fun and it's nice outside," one student said.
"A sunny day with clear blue skies, perfect for viewing the eclipse," another added.
It was a day that anyone out on the grass taking in the spectacle will remember.
At the Drake Municipal Observatory, people of all ages and origins traveled to get a good glimpse at the moon eclipsing the sun.
Longtime friends Terri Roth and Karen Atkinson came all the way from the Twin Cities for a better view.
“I just kept watching the forecast and I'm like 'We're going to drive south until there's sun,'" Atkinson said. “Here we are."
And the rare phenomenon lived up to the hype — and the drive.
"It just makes you think about the scale of these things. How far away the moon is. How far away the sun is,” one observer told Local 5. “All the circumstances that make it possible. It's awesome."
It’s a celestial event that ignites a sense of wonder, no matter what age you are.
"It kind of made me feel like a kid again because I'm like I'm not sure what to expect because I got the glasses and you see the sun covered up and it's just like ‘Oh my god,’" an adult attendee told Local 5.
"I actually saw it get dark for a really little bit so it was really cool,” one of the many children in attendance said.