Written by Rachel Bowman for Dailymail.Com and Wires
18:03 08 April 2024, 23:14 08 April 2024 Updated
- The first total solar eclipse was observed in Kerrville, Texas at 1:32 pm CT.
- Dallas Zoo animals panic in cages as US falls into darkness
- The FAA has suspended flights from two Illinois airports due to the amount of solar eclipse.
- Follow our live coverage of the 2024 solar eclipse on DailyMail.com
The total solar eclipse brought the United States to a standstill on Monday, with millions of people leaving work, suspending classes and flocking to streets and city rooftops to watch the rare event.
Crowds gathered in New York City and Washington, D.C., for a glimpse after passing northeast through Mexico and passing through Texas, Arkansas and Ohio shortly before 2 p.m.
The grand finale took place in Maine, where families gathered to enjoy the spring break.
The last partial solar eclipse was visible in Caribou at 4:40 p.m.
Crowds in the South were awestruck and New Yorkers were generally overwhelmed, but the event sent zoo and domestic animals across the country into a frenzy.
At the Dallas Zoo, giraffes, zebras and ostriches shrieked, yelped and ran for cover as the clouds darkened.
The Texas Department of Transportation reported multiple crashes along all roads in Waco, resulting in major traffic delays for thousands of people in the Lone Star state.
A car crash in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, narrowed eastbound Interstate 40 to one lane ahead of the eclipse, and workers spent most of the day on the freeway, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Transportation. He said he spent the time cleaning the area.
The Mexican seaside resort of Mazatlan has become the first major viewing spot to be plunged into darkness due to a celestial phenomenon.
The total solar eclipse became visible around 11:07 a.m. PT and lasted 4 minutes and 17 seconds, according to NASA.
Thousands of people gathered on the coastal promenade, sitting in deck chairs with eclipse glasses as an orchestra played the “Star Wars” theme.
Thousands of people will flock to towns to follow the eclipse's “total path,” where the moon completely blocks the sun, starting in Mexico, traveling through Texas to New England, and ending in Canada.
At any point along the total path, people will see a partial solar eclipse, then a total solar eclipse, and then a partial solar eclipse again.
The newly released weather forecast for Monday is ominous, suggesting thunderstorms and cloud cover could limit visibility, but well-oiled thrill-seekers won't be disappointed.
solar eclipse timeline
the lone star state First state to see celestial event ET at approximately 1:27 p.m. ET, followed by Oklahoma at approximately 1:45 p.m. ET, followed by Arkansas at approximately 1:51 p.m. ET and Missouri approximately five minutes later.
Next in line along the path of totality was Illinois, where Carbondale experienced the eclipse around 1:59 p.m. PT, followed by Paducah, Kentucky, about a minute later. .
It is expected to be sighted in Evansville, Indiana at approximately 2:02 PM CT and in Ohio at approximately 3:13 PM ET.
State officials estimate up to 556,000 people will visit the Buckeye State.
The eclipse is next scheduled for Erie, Pennsylvania, at 3:16 p.m. ET, followed by Buffalo, New York, at approximately 3:18 p.m. ET.
The route continues north, reaching Burlington, Vermont at 3:26 PM ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27 PM ET, and Caribou, Maine at 3:32 PM ET.
weather forecast
Tourists who traveled thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse in Dallas, which was supposed to offer the best view, are rushing elsewhere as storm clouds gather over the Lone Star State.
Although Texas is in the perfect geographic location to witness this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, clouds began to roll in around 9 a.m. local time as severe storms are forecast for Monday night.
Forecasters in Forth Worth said the morning clouds would begin to lift around midday, allowing many people to enjoy the view of the sky.
The National Weather Service predicts that the best place to see the total solar eclipse in sharp detail Monday afternoon will be in northern New England.
Forecasters said cloud cover will increase over southern Texas ahead of the eclipse's arrival.
Other locations in between are said to have a fair chance of varying levels of cloud cover, but locations from Arkansas to the Midwest will see breaks in the clouds and high, thin clouds during totality. There is a possibility.
NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes project will mobilize thousands of volunteers across the United States to help collect data from Monday's celestial senses.
During the event, approximately 2,500 people registered to complete written multisensory reports about animal behavior and human responses.
photograph
Photographers lined up early in the morning at Niagara Falls to get the best spot to take pictures of the eclipse.
Astrophotographer Stan Honda told CNN's Photographers that anyone with a sturdy, stable tripod and a remote camera shutter can take photos of the eclipse.
“You can take good photos of the eclipse with almost any type of camera or lens,” he said. “To stabilize the setup, I recommend a fairly sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release that allows you to take photos without moving the camera too much.”
“Safe eclipse filters are a real necessity at partial stages, and the American Astronomical Society has an entire section on its website about eclipse glasses and filters that have been approved as safe for use.”
