During Divisive Political Times, Eclipse Unifies Southern Californians

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Southland may not have been in the "path of totality" but we still had a great view of the Great American Solar Eclipse.

Few can remember a time in Southern California when large crowds gathered in awe of something lately.

"It looked like a golden crescent. It was magnificent," Garrett Sanderson said. "Today everybody seemed to be unified."

Without megaphones or flags, just safety glasses and goggles, people seemed to be unified while watching the eclipse.

"The world is a loud place filled with everyone shouting, screaming for attention, to see everyone stopping, and focusing on one thing, and not arguing about it, that's pretty cool." an eclipse viewer  said.

"Even more so than seeing the eclipse just the way everyone came together," Laura Woodman said.

Alicia Ray says she was amazed. For a short time in the middle of a busy back to school Monday morning in Orange, it seemed the whole world came to a halt.

"There were no cars on the street, nothing was happening for about fifteen minutes and it was really still," Ray said.

Maria Sanderson was driving to Chapman for the fall semester when she says the freeway emptied out.

"A lot of people were exiting the highway at the same time and there was like a big line for the exits. I thought that was really cool. Everyone had the same plan," Sanderson said.

Thousands gathered at the Griffith Park Observatory to insure a prime spot for the partial eclipse and some camped out there as early as 3 a.m.

In downtown Los Angeles, many left their offices and headed to Grand Park and packed sidewalks outside city buildings.

In Fountain Valley, ophthalmologist, Dr. Vicky Lin, was taking calls from those who were concerned their eyes felt weird after buying safety glasses that may not have been certified.

Lin says it takes a couple days for symptoms to manifest. If you have pain, see dark spots or have blurred vision, you should see your eye doctor.