Night falls on Niagara as heavens eclipse one of the world’s wonders
AS THE darkness set in, Niagara Falls has probably never been so crowded.
The moon’s shadow swept across hundreds of thousands of people gathered at North America’s great natural wonder, causing the sky to turn pitch black within a matter of seconds.
The falls can claim many accolades, and yesterday they added the best viewing spot for a total solar eclipse to its list. There was an eerie beauty as the moon eclipsed the sun causing a faint luminescence to the mist across the falls. And then darkness.
Many thousands had travelled from overseas, causing gridlock on the roads and booking out hotels at four times their usual rate. Some came from as far afield as Australia. Others braved the arguably equally arduous bumper-tobumper drive from nearby towns across the Canadian province of Ontario. Extra trains and buses were rammed.
Yesterday was the first total solar eclipse in the area since 1979, and the last North America will see until 2044. “I won’t be alive then for the next one,” said 80-year-old Antoinette Bain, who got up at 4am, along with her husband, to travel from Toronto.
There was a collective intake of breath as the moon blotted out the sun, leaving only the sun’s corona, tracing magnetic field lines through the sky.
Awe-struck cries and cheers rang out from children and adults alike. Crescent-shaped rays of light spotted the ground. It was a rare sight indeed to watch as the crowd turned its collective back on one of nature’s wonders to marvel at the heavens.
With day abruptly turned to night, astronomers predicted stargazers could spot a twinkle or two in the dark skies. Alas, heavy cloud put paid to that. A lucky few spotted beads of light around the sun’s outer rings.
Excitement over the celestial event reached fever pitch in Canada some time ago: the postal service has already issued a commemorative stamp; while coffee shops in Niagara sold dark astrological-themed doughnuts and brownies festooned with stars.
The Niagara Regional Police Service had been working “for over a year in preparation for the eclipse”. Officials in the region even declared a state of emergency to help with crowd control.
Kevin Maloy, 55, from Wilmington, Delaware, in the US, made the six-hour drive from his home with his partner, Kelly Goff, 54. The pair saw their first total eclipse in Oregon in 2017, and committed there and then to seeing this one.
“It’s indescribable to people who haven’t seen it,” Mr Maloy said. “It’s more like a feeling.”
The 115 mile-wide path of totality – where the eclipse will completely obscure the sun – ranged in a curved line from Mexico’s Pacific coast through Texas and the Midwest, to New York and Canada. Niagara Falls was predicted to be one of the best places on Earth to view the eclipse.
Here, the Niagara Symphony Orchestra provided a backtrack as the celestial event began at 2.40pm local time, 7.40 pm BST.
Delta, United and Southwest airlines all put on special flights so passengers could view the phenomenon from 30,000 ft. One flight from Austin to Detroit – following the arc of the path of totality – sold out in less than 24 hours.
At peak points, the daytime darkness lasted up to four-and-a-half minutes, sending temperatures plummeting.
The sudden darkness was expected to impact birds, insects and other wildlife, tricking them into believing night had fallen.
The eclipse first hit North America near Mazatlán, in Mexico, around 5.51pm BST, exiting North America via Newfoundland, at 8.46pm BST.