A much-anticipated total solar eclipse crossed a large stretch of the United States on Monday afternoon.
NASA carried three hours of eclipse coverage as it moved from Texas to Maine. More than 300,000 people had joined the event on its YouTube page before the event started. That number jumped to more than 500,000 by 1:20 p.m. and 800,000 by 1:15 p.m. EDT.
Its coverage included conversations with experts and telescope views of the eclipse from several sites along the eclipse path.
Throughout the broadcast, they answered viewer questions in the chat.
Eclipse begins in Mazatlán, Mexico
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) April 8, 2024
(screenshot from Reuters) pic.twitter.com/7CvwuxgAcn
The path of totality, when the moon fully blocked the sun, occured along a 100-mile-wide stretch from Texas to Maine, giving people in Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y., prime seats. It was the last total eclipse over the continential United States for 20 years.
The totality happed over Mazatlan, Mexico along the Pacific coast just after 11:06 a.m. local time. A few minutes later the eclipse passed over Torreon, Mexico with the total eclipse taking place just after 12:16 p.m. local time.
The crowd in Kerrville, Texas saw the eclipse in totality just after 1:32 p.m. CDT. It was followed by totality in Dallas about 1:40 p.m. CDT.
Russellville, Arkansas was next in the path with totality hitting there at 1:50 p.m. CDT. Hundreds of people took part in a mass wedding event ahead of the eclipse at a watch party.
The eclipse then passed over southern Illinois minutes before the eclipse started over Indianapolis at 3:06 EDT. Thousands of people watched at the home of the Indianpolis 500.
Next up was Cleveland, Ohio. The total eclispe hit there at 3:13 p.m. EDT.
The solar eclipse then moved on to Niagara Falls just before 3:20 p.m. EDT but the clouds blocked most of the view for thousands of people who had gathered there. They did get to experience the complete darkness.
The next stop was Tupper Lake, N.Y. at 3:24 p.m. EDT.
A group of people were on Stowe, Vermont's highest mountain peak to see the totality at 3:26 p.m. EDT.
Houlton, Maine was next at 3:32 p.m. EDT with more than three minutes of a total eclipse.
Cities in Maine were last to see the totality in the United States before it moved into Canada.
Watch the NASA feed below.
