A rare solar eclipse passed across the United States on Monday afternoon, drawing thousands of spectators to the path of totality — the area where the full eclipse could be seen — to get a glimpse of something that won’t be able to be observed again in the U.S. until 2044.

New Jersey was outside the path of a total eclipse, but the state experienced a partial eclipse that drew curious skywatchers outside. Thousands of people celebrated the event at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City to watch the moon block 91% of the sun.

“Turns out people like a real astronomy event, especially one that you don’t see very often,” said Mike Shanahan, the planetarium director at the Liberty Science Center.