Heavy cloud cover and sprinkles in the Richmond Hill area turned this afternoon's solar eclipse into a "So, that was it?" moment.

Not only did large billows of black clouds obstruct the sun's view during the three-hour window, but by 3 p.m., about 15 minutes past the expected 96 percent totality, a downpour of rain occurred, continuing to dampen streets as of this writing.

As disappointing as that, both teachers and students at the Richmond Hill public schools gathered outside with their protective glasses trying to get a peek at the moon's interference between the sun and Earth, and made the best of a challenging situation.  

Beginning around 2 p.m., teachers at Richmond Hill Primary School allowed students to line up outside and look to the sky. Students from Carver and Richmond Hill Elementary School could also be seen from a distance gathered outside. Bryan County was just one of a handful of area school districts to hold classes today.

Some teachers and staff remained outside closer to the 2:45 p.m. anticipation of complete darkness, and when the school building's outdoor lights automatically came on sensing the darkness, there was hope. 

But in the end, it looked no darker than a typical rain-soaked afternoon in the summer. 

Earlier, several classrooms used this once in a lifetime opportunity as a teachable moment with sun, moon and Earth props being held and demonstrated by the students.