Solar eclipse 2024 brings Georgians out to Stone Mountain

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - Stone Mountain Park officials saw about 5,000 people turn out to see the solar eclipse where about 81% of the sun was covered by the moon. It's a phenomenon that many won't see again until 2044.

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"It's just something special to us," Todd Kelly said.

Todd and Katelin Kelly had been waiting for years to get the chance to see the eclipse.

"The plan was to come out to Arkansas, but we didn't get to make it because something came up. We've been planning this trip for like seven years," Todd said.

The last solar eclipse was in 2017. They knew then that they couldn't miss the next one.

"It was gonna go dark, and all the birds were gonna freak out," Katelin said.

When their travel plans fell through, the Kelly's thought what better spot to get an unrestricted view than on top of Stone Mountain.

"The views from Stone Mountain … you can't … it's hard to describe," Todd said.

FOX 5's Kim Leoffler also met actor Timon Kyle Durrett on top of Stone Mountain on Monday. He's known for shows like Queen Sugar and Stuck With You. He said he got a camera with a solar lens just to capture the best pictures of this rare sight.

"I know I have friends who are going to the path of totality, all that, but I didn't want to be around all that madness. I said, 'You know, I'll just record what I can,'" Durrett said.

"Now that I have all the equipment, I'm going to record it so I can share it with my family and my friends, and you know anyone else who may not have gotten the chance to check it out," he added.

And with the next coast-to-coast eclipse in the U.S. like this one not expected for another 21 years, it's an experience people told FOX 5 they just couldn't miss.

"Once in a lifetime thing," Todd said.

"It's just one thing I can be outdoors and just see something cool that for some, is a once in a lifetime experience, so I'm excited about it," Durrett added.