North America awed by total solar eclipse
The first total solar eclipse to grace North America in seven years made landfall in Mexico yesterday as millions of skywatchers gazed upward for the start of a celestial display at least partially visible, weather permitting, across most of the continent.
The Mexican resort town of Mazatlan was the first major viewing spot in North America.
Thousands gathered along the coastal promenade, setting themselves up in deck chairs with solar-safe eyewear as an orchestra played the Star Wars movie theme.
The crowds burst into cheers and applause and the eclipse reached totality.
Where clear skies prevailed, observers along the direct path of the eclipse were being treated to the rare spectacle of the moon appearing as a dark orb creeping in front of the sun, briefly blocking out all but a brilliant halo of light, or corona, around the sun’s outer edge.
The period of totality, lasting up to 4½ minutes depending on the observer’s location, was ushered in by a number of other eerie eclipse effects.
A partial eclipse, in which the moon obscures only a portion of the sun, unfolded across most of the continental US.
At Mazatlan, Lourdes Corro, 43, had travelled 10 hours by car to get there.
“The last one I saw was when I was nine years old,” Corro said.
Eclipse fans gathered in numerous places along the “path of totality” stretching from Mexico’s Pacific Coast through Texas and across 14 other US states into Canada.
In upstate New York, at the Frontier Town campground in North Hudson, children ran around wearing eclipse Tshirts, while parents set up tables, chairs and beer coolers.
At up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, the total eclipse of 2024 surpassed the duration of the one that traversed the US from coast to coast in 2017.
That one clocked in at up to 2 minutes and 42 seconds.