Hundreds of people, including one professional photographer, woke up early this morning to see the sunrise eclipse along the Jersey Shore.

“It was spectacular,” says Ling Hu. “It was actually spectacular, I think time and place and a little bit of luck.”

As people gathered on the beaches to take in the view, the full moon blocked about 73% of the rising sun, with just enough cloud cover to make viewing the rare celestial phenomenon ideal.

“I think for people who just walked in on it and not knowing that this was going to go on, I think for them it was a real chuckle, but there were people here who were prepared with filters and the proper eye protection to take this in,” says Hu.

One professional photographer at the Jersey Shore grabbed his gear and started recording history during this morning’s eclipse.

Bill McKim, who is known to Belmar, is usually capturing marine wildlife and sunsets from his home near the boardwalk, but he captured something special at 5:30 a.m., not seen around these parts since 1959.

“People were stunned and all of a sudden 5:15 in the morning, cars were pulling in from everywhere like there was a concert starting in 10 minutes,” says McKim. “I was like OK, so everybody knows about this and it was really, it was a special site. Glad I really got to see it. Glad I got up.”

If you like what you saw but you want to see something even more spectacular, mark April 8, 2024 on your calendars.  A total solar eclipse will be visible. The closest destination to see from New Jersey is Plattsburgh, New York, with about three and a half minutes of totality.