Conditions for eclipse viewing were almost perfect Monday afternoon, attracting about 200 people to the far end of the Washington County Fairgrounds' parking lot where astronomy enthusiasts had set up four telescopes.

People looked skyward with eclipse glasses. Some aimed homemade eclipse projectors. Tom Duffy from Greenwich had taped a No. 12 welders lens and a No. 5 braziers lens to a hole in a piece of foam board, making a safe way to view the sun directly.

Bill Frederick, organizer of the Salem Astronomy Club, had his 10-inch reflecting telescope with a filter over the lens, and a 3-inch refracting telescope equipped with a solar funnel. The hardware-store funnel, attached with a clamp, projected the suns image onto a piece of fabric stretched over the funnels big end, allowing several people to see at once.

Frederick explained that the tiny spots visible on the suns image werent dirt on the lens but rather sunspots, each as big as seven or eight earths. The spots move with the suns 28-day rotation period.

A man views the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

A man photographs an image of the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds.

A man prepares to view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

People view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

People gathered at the Washington County Fair grounds and used telescopes and viewing glasses to view the solar eclipse on Monday August 21st.

Women wearing protective glasses look up at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

Brayden, Adrianna and Dianna Lum of Queensbury look up at the sun Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

A boy tries on a pair of eclipse glasses to view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A group of girls look up at the sun Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Emma Crockett holds a carboard tube with a pin-head size hole through aluminium foil for a boy to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Margo Flewelling holds a colander for children to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Margo Flewelling holds a colander for children to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

David Hall of Adirondack Skywatchers Astronomy Club talks to visitors Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

Spectators look up at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park during an eclipse viewing party.

The partial solar eclipse is seen Monday afternoon through a cut out cardboard box at Moreau Lake State Park.

Alli Schweizer holds a long cardboard box to display the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A man looks up at the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A woman uses a spy glass to look at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A man views the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

A man photographs an image of the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds.

A man prepares to view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

People view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at the Washington County fairgrounds in Easton. The region experienced a 66 percent eclipse while other parts of the country were left in darkness.

People gathered at the Washington County Fair grounds and used telescopes and viewing glasses to view the solar eclipse on Monday August 21st.

Women wearing protective glasses look up at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

Brayden, Adrianna and Dianna Lum of Queensbury look up at the sun Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

A boy tries on a pair of eclipse glasses to view the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A group of girls look up at the sun Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Emma Crockett holds a carboard tube with a pin-head size hole through aluminium foil for a boy to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Margo Flewelling holds a colander for children to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

State Park employee Margo Flewelling holds a colander for children to witness the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

David Hall of Adirondack Skywatchers Astronomy Club talks to visitors Monday afternoon during the partial solar eclipse at Moreau Lake State Park.

Spectators look up at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park during an eclipse viewing party.

The partial solar eclipse is seen Monday afternoon through a cut out cardboard box at Moreau Lake State Park.

Alli Schweizer holds a long cardboard box to display the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A man looks up at the partial solar eclipse Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

A woman uses a spy glass to look at the partial solar eclipse on Monday afternoon at Moreau Lake State Park.

Don Minkle, who teaches astronomy and earth science at SUNY Adirondack, had a large reflecting scope that transmitted the suns visible light, creating a white image, and a smaller telescope designed specifically for viewing the suns chromosphere, which emits red light. People went from one telescope to another, peering through the eyepieces and taking photographs with smart phones and iPads.

As the eclipse progressed toward its local maximum at about 2:40 p.m., the crowd noted that the air was cooler, the light dimmer. Sunshine coming through small openings, such as the spaces between strands in a straw hat, made tiny bright crescents, just like the area of the sun that the moon was covering.

Layla Carnahan had come from Cossayuna with her three children, Hudson, 10, Grace, 9, and Noelle, 1.

We have a telescope but no filters, Layla Carnahan said. The kids were excited to come. This was the first solar eclipse for her as well as her children, she said.

J.P. Dartt, a member of the Salem Astronomy Club, was supervising the telescope with the solar funnel. The telescopes had to be adjusted every few minutes as the sun progressed westward across the sky. Dartt, experiencing his first solar eclipse, was excited to observe what he thought was rapid movement of a sunspot, only to realize that the sunspot wasnt moving, just the moons shadow across the face of the sun.

Annie Miller, director of the Greenwich Free Library, helped organize the event. We had huge interest, she said. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration sent the library 1,000 pairs of eclipse glasses. Miller gave 600 to other libraries and distributed all of the remainder to Greenwich library patrons.

I had no idea this would be so big, she said.

Other viewings across the region included one at Moreau Lake State Park, as many paused from fun in the sun and water to take in the eclipse.

Dianna Lum, with her children Brayden and Adrianna, of Queensbury, said they planned their day around the eclipse.

The trio joined dozens of others taking in the moment the eclipse started at about 1:30 p.m. at the state park.

David Hall, of the Adirondack Skywatchers astronomy club, was on hand answering questions for eclipse watchers as park employees provided eclipse viewers that ranged from certified glasses to homemade devices.

A long cardboard box, with the top covered with aluminum foil featuring a pinhead-size hole, displayed the eclipse's progress on a white piece of paper affixed to the bottom of the box through a hole cut in the side of the box.

Other items included a metal colander. When positioned correctly, it displayed the shadow produced by the eclipse.

We periodically get a solar eclipse once or twice a year somewhere on earth, Hall said.

Hall said during the eclipse it will appear two-thirds darker, which equates to about 5:30 or 6 p.m.

An eery shadow cast over the beach and water of the state park on Monday as the eclipse reached its peak at about 2:45 p.m.

The sun is about 400 times the diameter of the moon and the sun is roughly 400 times away from the moon, Hall said.

The amateur astronomers are teaming with Friends of Moreau Lake State Park to build an on-site observatory.

The partial solar eclipse on Monday will serve as a warm-up for the next solar eclipse, which includes New York in its path of totality. That eclipse will occur April 8, 2024. The path of totality will go just north of our region.

Well be at 95 percent (coverage) for that eclipse, Frederick said.

Online Editor Adam Colver contributed to this report.

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Looking skyward: Astronomy enthusiasts lend hand to view historic eclipse - Glens Falls Post-Star