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Small Virginia town named for solar eclipse

Posted at 5:01 PM, Aug 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-17 17:24:37-04

ECLIPSE, Va.- There’s a lot of excitement for the solar eclipse on Monday but there may be no better place to watch the moon cover the sun than Eclipse, Virginia.

The small, quiet town of eclipse located in Suffolk is just like any other town. Except for them, Monday’s solar eclipse is more than just the day when mother nature puts a black veil on the sun for a few minutes.

“When this eclipse came over somebody named the town eclipse,” Eclipse resident Stuart Resor said.

According to proud eclipse resident Stuart Resor the town needed a name after expanding in the 1900’s, so they named it after the 1918 total eclipse.

Resor hopes people from across the state make their way to the town on Monday.

“We’ll have a big part right here on the front porch,” Resor said.

15 year old Karsten Brown has spent his summer restoring the Eclipse Manor, the town's original post office. Brown says his entire family is prepared for the eclipse.

“They come in a pack of two so you buy two and i think it’s a dollar each for a pack,” Brown said.

Brown said some of his friends have waited to get their special eclipse glasses, the price they have had to pay might surprise you.

“They are selling for over a hundred dollars now,” Brown said.

If that price scares you, don’t even bother looking into some of the hot destinations to see the eclipse. If you’d rather go to a free place to watch the magic happen Resor says you’re welcome in their town. Just be sure to pronounce the town name correctly.

“Not eclipse, e-clipse, there’s a difference,” Resor said.

If you miss Monday’s eclipse the next one won't happen until April 8th 2024.