The year is 1979, and the television has been switched to the ABC News station, screen glowing dimly from inside its wooden box. A voice all the way from New York City is carried by satellite to report pleasantly, announcing the last total solar eclipse of the century. Frank Reynolds says, “And as I said not until August 21, 2017, will another eclipse be visible from North America. That’s 38 years from now. May the shadow of the moon fall on the world in peace.” In present time, this aforementioned date has come and gone, newest solar eclipse having occurred at near totality here in Cartersville, Georgia, resulting in the absence of over 700 students at Cass High School (not to mention the 200 who were later checked out), which begs the question: where in the world was Cass High?

For many students, the afternoon was spent lounging in their backyards, eagerly awaiting the peak of coverage. Alex Sehorn says, “I stayed home and watched it with my dog! But the eclipse isn’t just dangerous to human eyes, so I held my solar glasses to his head.” Others talk about watching the sun dapples on the ground below, the light coming in as puddles of crescent-moons. The world seemed to desaturate for a handful of minutes; it’s no wonder so many stopped to watch this rare spectacle.

Nevertheless, some students weren’t satisfied with Georgia’s 97% coverage. One such student, Grant Morris, went to Tennessee to see the eclipse in totality. He says, “We were swimming some and waiting for it to happen. It was awesome. The sky got dark, and crickets started chirping, and it got noticeably cooler. The whole thing was a beautiful and amazing experience that I’m glad I had.”

No matter where in the world they are, everyone can agree that the total solar eclipse was quite the ordeal. Anyone who missed it can see it during the year 2045 during Georgia’s next total solar eclipse, and in the words of Frank Reynolds, “May the shadow of the moon fall on the world in peace.”