America pauses for its first total solar eclipse in almost a century
A total eclipse of the sun has caused huge excitement across the US, being visible from 48 states as it tracked from Oregon in the west to South Carolina in the east. Millions of Americans turned out to watch as a shadow was cast by the moon when it passed in front of the sun
A “beautiful” solar eclipse has swept across the US for the first time in nearly a century.
The Canadian Space Agency described the initial glimpses of the first total solar eclipse to cross the US, from Oregon to South Carolina, in 99 years as “beautiful” as Americans watched in wonder through telescopes, cameras and protective glasses.
However, gloomy skies scuppered the chances of many Britons who wanted to see a partial solar eclipse yesterday evening. Britons had hoped to see the moon appear to take a “bite” out of the sun just before sunset.
Devon, Cornwall and the south coast of Dorset may have got a glimpse of the partial eclipse as about 5 per cent of the sun was covered, according to Met Office forecaster Luke Miall.
He said: “The only place that had seen the partial eclipse was on the south coast of Weymouth which had a good show, but for the majority of the country it was too cloudy.”
US president Donald Trump watched from the White House alongside First Lady Melania while his daughter Ivanka and rock star Bruce Springsteen were among the excited big names who had tweeted advice that watchers should remember to wear their glasses when looking at the spectacle.
They saw the moon blot out the sun, cause a drop in temperature and turn daylight into twilight.
It is expected to be the most observed and most photographed eclipse in history.
Totality, when the sun is completely obscured by the moon, lasted for around two minutes in each location along the narrow corridor stretching across the US heartland to Charleston, South Carolina.
Nasa Moon, the US space agency Nasa’s official Twitter account about Earth’s Moon, said: “Ha Ha Ha. I’ve blocked the Sun! Make way for the Moon. #Solare clipse2017.”
Hopkinsville Police in Kentucky, which saw solar enthusiasts descend on the town, tweeted: “Please do not call 911 just because your Wi-fi service is not working.”
Dr Francisco Diego of University College London has described each eclipse as “unique”, saying that it “steals your soul and it happens in complete silence”.
He said: “You cannot anticipate how spectacular this is.
“You are going to be in a landscape in a normal day and suddenly in a matter of minutes in the last part of the approach, a matter of seconds, this shadow of the moon is going to cover the entire landscape and you are being plunged into darkness.”