News

See video and photos of the sky spectacle

Published

7 months ago

April 9, 2024

EAGLE PASS, Texas − In a second of cosmic alignment that was exactly predicted but undeniably mysterious, the moon crept throughout the face of the solar as seen from Earth, casting its shadow onto america on Monday.

After which it was over: A complete eclipse of the solar has come and gone.

The partial shadow crossed into the U.S. in Texas simply after midday native time, and a bit greater than an hour later, the minutes of “totality” started. The entire eclipse of the solar then traced a path from southern Texas to northern Maine, the place it exited into Canada and the ocean past.

The uncommon occasion was an astronomical expertise like no different. Monday’s eclipse was unusually accessible to tens of millions of individuals. It was broadly anticipated not just for its exceptional interval of darkness, however for its uncommon timing: No whole photo voltaic eclipse can be seen from the contiguous United States once more till 2044. Whereas tens of millions of Individuals could have seen at the moment’s eclipse, a small group in Texas was among the many very first.

A total solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlan, Mexico, on April 8, 2024.

Fringe of eclipse shadow started in south Texas

Alejandra Martinez, a seventh-grade science trainer from the south Texas border metropolis of Eagle Cross, peered up on the grey, gauzy sky, anxiously awaiting the photo voltaic eclipse’s entrance into the USA.

Sitting with a telescope beneath a tenting cover in a nook of the county airport, Martinez, 42, and two different science lovers had been recruited by NASA to take part in an effort known as Citizen CATE 2024, the place greater than 30 groups perched within the eclipse’s path will document the shadowy trek throughout the nation.

On this spot, lower than 5 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, she and her staff can be among the many first individuals within the U.S. to witness the phenomenon. Eagle Cross sits close to the very starting of the eclipse’s monitor from southwest to northeast throughout the nation. It additionally sits very close to dead-center of it, the place the interval of “totality” would be the longest. That whole shadow was nonetheless greater than an hour away when the sting of the shadow started to darken the sky.

Martinez, wearing a “This Totality Rocks” T-shirt and eclipse-themed skirt, watched because the penumbra crept throughout the airfield, about 10 minutes previous midday native time. She placed on her eclipse glasses and peered up on the sky. The gauzy clouds parted. “There it’s! There it’s!” she yelled. “First contact. It’s begun!”

Clouds got here and went because the shadow grew for the following hour. As totality approached Eagle Cross, the sky shaded a boring grey then a heavy brown and the temperature dropped a couple of levels. Solely a sliver of the solar remained.

A number of seconds earlier than 1:27 p.m. CT, the gang counted down, “3..2..1…” The solar was gone, fully lined by the moon. Darkness unfold over the small airport grounds. “Oh my god,” Martinez mentioned, a hand overlaying her coronary heart. “That is so cool!”

Find out how to inform you probably have eye harm from a partial eclipse?

For individuals who took an opportunity and regarded on the solar with out protecting eyewear in the course of the eclipse, issues could come up if their imaginative and prescient begins to appear impaired. Have they suffered eclipse blindness?

Looking directly at the sun even briefly without the proper safety glasses can result in eye damage, either temporary or permanent. The body’s natural squinting reaction in normal circumstances prevents people from staring directly at the sun, but that reflex may not be activated during partial eclipses, even though a partly shielded sun can still burn the retina.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says pain won’t be an indication of damaged eyes because the retina lacks pain nerves. Worrisome signs are instead blurry vision, headaches, light sensitivity, blind spots in the central vision, distorted vision and changes in color perception. Anyone experiencing those symptoms should see an ophthalmologist, the AAO says.

How do I know if I damaged my eyes during the eclipse?

If your eyes feel a little funny after an eclipse, it may not be a sign of solar retinopathy. Damage from the eclipse is unlikely to cause pain or discomfort in your eyes because the retina does not have any pain nerves. Instead, you would notice visual symptoms within four to six hours. But some may notice symptoms after 12 hours.

The retinas of your eyes have no nerve endings so even if they are damaged, you may not feel any pain. But according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, if you experience any of these symptoms a few hours or even days after the eclipse, you should go see your ophthalmologist.

Blurry vision
Headache and/or eye pain
Vision loss or a black spot at the center of a patient’s sight in one or both eyes
Increased sensitivity to light
Distorted vision (a straight line may look bent or curvy)
Changes in the way you see color, known as “dyschromatopsia”

Looking at the sun during an eclipse without safe viewing glasses can cause permanent eye damage, called eclipse blindness. If after witnessing Monday’s phenomenon you experience blurry or distorted vision, you may have suffered eye damage.

What was the timeline of the 2024 solar eclipse?

The total eclipse began in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, Monday before crossing into Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. It ended in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Even those who weren’t in the path of totality could see a percentage of the eclipse.

To find out exactly when the eclipse occurred in your area, you can search by USA TODAY’s database by ZIP code for a viewing guide.

In Michigan, a bonding experience for a mother and her three kids

In Michigan, eclipse enthusiasts packed a watch party along the Detroit Riverwalk near Cullen Plaza. They sat on the grass, on benches and berms. For Janelle Ikonen of Waterford, it was a chance to bond with her three children − Hannah, 9; Elim, 12; and Isaac, 14 − whom she took out of school for the day.

“I wanted to experience a unique event with them,” said Ikonen, 47. “It’s one of my big deals to me, to experience things with my kids. … I hope they’ll remember spending time with me.”

In Grand Rapids, where 94% coverage of the sun was expected, viewers gathered on the city’s “Blue Bridge,” which offered a view of the eclipse over the Grand River. With no cloud cover over the city, visitors had an unobstructed scene. The Grand Rapids Public Museum set up a series of solar telescopes.

Jill and Wes Johnson, 50 and 14, were among those awaiting max coverage. They’d considered traveling from Grand Rapids to a place with total coverage, but decided 94% coverage was worthwhile enough to stay home.

“I think people are excited to see something unique,” Jill Johnson said.

− Georgea Kovanis and Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press

Witnessing the first total eclipse from a cruise ship

Passengers aboard Holland America’s Koningsdam cruise ship eagerly gathered on the top decks at 10 a.m. local time to watch the spectacle of a solar eclipse.

Positioned off the coast of Mazatlan, Mexico − the first city in North America to witness the total eclipse − the ship provided an ideal vantage point for viewing the celestial event. Accompanied by an astronomer, the captain meticulously adjusted the ship’s position to ensure the best possible view.

Dan Fueller, an experienced eclipse observer who had previously seen similar phenomena from ships in 1991 and 1998, emphasized the advantages of viewing the eclipse from a cruise ship. He noted the flexibility of the ship’s mobility allowed for optimal positioning along the eclipse’s path, ensuring unobstructed views.

“You’re on a cruise ship and (the best view) is a little bit farther to the west or a little bit farther to the east − along the path, there’s a clear sky − the ship can move. If you’re on land and there’s not a road there, you better have a tank.”

− Joshuan Rivera

Partial eclipse ‘like a little Pac-Man taking a bite out of the sun’

In Parthenon, Arkansas, the eclipse began near the Buffalo National River. Five friends traveled from Florida to be on a rock outcropping to witness the celestial event.

“Yes! I see it!” Angie Printiss exclaimed.

“Oh ya! You can see it,” said Kate Estes. “It’s like a little Pac-Man taking a bite out of the sun.”

At 20 minutes before totality, the sky got noticeably darker. The shadow of crescent sun shapes played off the limestone rocks.

“It looks like water − like fish scales,” Estes said. “That is so weird, when the trees move you can really see it.”

− Jennifer Portman

New Englanders travel for better view of the eclipse

Crowds ballooned into the thousands midday Monday in the center of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, as the nearly cloudless sky and warm sun boosted temperatures to an unseasonably 60 degrees.

Jim and Kim Cooper drove over from New Hampton, New Hampshire, their first time doing more than just passing through the town locals call St. Jays. Their son had proposed to his girlfriend in Tennessee during the 2017 eclipse and then had an eclipse-themed wedding, but the Coopers had never seen a total eclipse for themselves, so they decided to come to the closest place where they could be assured of a good view.

Jeffrey Breau had seen that 2017 eclipse for himself and was so impressed that he convinced family members to join him this time. Breau’s girlfriend, Nell Hawley, came up with him from Cambridge, Massachusetts, while his brother Alex and his girlfriend Diana Ventura drove up from New York City. The Breau brothers’ father, Walter, joined them in taking in their first eclipse.

“I would have been OK watching it in the yard,” Walter said, though he would only have seen a partial eclipse from there. “That’s what you think now,” Jeffrey said quickly. “Talk to me in two hours.”

− Karen Weintraub

Kids bring homemade eclipse viewers to National Mall

Lucas and Lucy Porto Banco didn’t need to buy fancy eclipse glasses – the 7- and 10-year-old siblings made their own eclipse viewers from two cardboard shoe boxes left over from a couple of their mom’s recent shoe purchases.With the help of a YouTube tutorial video, they made two holes in each box with a whittling knife and taped tin foil over. Then they used dry spaghetti to poke holes in the tin foil for the sun’s light to pass through and project onto the dark inside of the box.The kids put together the viewer in little more than five minutes, Lucy said. “Maybe 15, with covering all the gaps in the shoe box,” she said.Even with his own eclipse-viewing creation, Lucas said he may still take advantage of his eclipse glasses. “I’m going to do both,” he said.

− Cybele Mayes-Osterman

A last-minute search for glasses for ‘a perfect spot’

Patsy Faoro walked toward a half dozen people gathered at the gate of Turner Farm Park in Great Falls, Virginia. The people were awaiting the opening of an eclipse viewing event complete with telescopes and educational presentations.

Faoro, who lives near the park in this upscale Northern Virginia neighborhood, just wanted glasses to safely view the eclipse.

She visited CVS, Safeway and a 7/11 convenience store, all of which had advertised the availability of glasses to view the eclipse. None of the retailers had any glasses remaining when Faoro checked this morning.