All Angels by the Sea gathers for solar eclipse

All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church members weren’t looking for a bird, plane or Superman on Aug. 21.

Instead, they were staring up at the blue sky taking in the rare sighting of a partial solar eclipse.

Whether it was through glasses or DIY pinhole viewing devices, about 35 church members gathered at Ken Thompson Park to take in the cosmic scene.

“It’s truly one of God’s miracles,” said Dotty Albright, one of the event coordinators.

It was in 1991 that most Americans experienced a total solar eclipse, NASA’s eclipse website said. And though Sarasota and Longboat Key only saw a partial eclipse this week, All Angels members still squealed in delight as the moon passed over part of the sun.

As 2:50 p.m., the time of the maximum eclipse for the Sarasota area, neared, members called out a countdown. Four minutes passed. Then two. Glasses were correctly placed over viewers’ eyes, and what followed was a chorus of “oohs,” “aahs” and “incredibles.”

“I won’t be around for the next one ... so I’m happy to be here now,” Tom Thomas said. “It’s fantastic.”