Rare Total Solar Eclipse Darkens Skies From Mexico to Canada
A total solar eclipse captivated observers across North America on Monday, as the moon passed directly between the Earth and the sun. The path of totality, a roughly 115-mile-wide shadow cast by the moon, traced a route beginning on the Pacific coast of Mexico at 11:07 am (1807 GMT), then journeyed across the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New England, before moving on to Canada. The rare celestial event offered viewers within this narrow corridor up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds of totality, a sight that will not recur in the US for another 21 years.
In Mexico, the eclipse drew large crowds, including President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and congressional representatives, to the beach resort town of Mazatlan, where the phenomenon first made landfall in North America. Local authorities prepared for the influx of spectators by distributing protective eclipse-viewing glasses, essential for safely observing the sun's temporary obscuration.
While an estimated 32 million US residents reside in the path of the eclipse, federal officials anticipated that an additional 5 million might travel to witness the spectacle firsthand. Major cities along the route, such as San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Erie, hosted many of these viewers. Even those outside the path of totality were able to experience a partial eclipse, though weather conditions such as cloud coverage varied across different regions, with New Mexico experiencing obscured skies due to an approaching storm. The National Weather Service reported a mix of cloud conditions, from a rapid increase in Southern Texas to "high thin clouds" from Arkansas to the Midwest, potentially impacting visibility.
