Total solar eclipse: stunning images of the natural scene

Millions of people in Mexico, the United States and Canada witnessed a total solar eclipse on Monday. Such a celestial scene occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and completely blocks the sun. Starting in the Pacific Ocean, the shadow zone extended over northern Mexico, crossed the United States from northeastern Texas to Maine, touched southeastern Canada and ended over the North Atlantic Ocean.

A solar eclipse darkens the sky over Mexico

Already in Mexico, thousands of tourists and residents, for example in the Pacific coastal city of Mazatlán, have noticed how a midday solar eclipse makes it largely dark for a few minutes. When the sky cleared again, there was applause and tears, Milenio TV reported at the site. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also flew to Mazatlán to attend the event. He also held his usual press conference from there.

Millions of people celebrate with parties

In the United States, millions of people have been preparing for the spectacle in the sky for months, and have planned parties to watch it together. The region was home to major cities such as Dallas, Indianapolis, Buffalo, and Montreal, and more than 30 million people lived there. Many schools remained closed, hotels and holiday apartments were fully booked in advance, and there was an increase in traffic.

In many places, clouds spoiled the scene a little, but millions of people still watched the event wearing special glasses, amid much cheers and applause. Scientists have also been preparing for this event for months. NASA examined the solar eclipse using planes and balloons, among other things.

The last total solar eclipse was seen from the United States in 2017, from Mexico in 1991 and from Canada in 1979. The next eclipse has yet to be announced for the United States and Canada in 2044, and in Mexico in 2052.

The heavenly spectacle cannot be seen from Europe

The astronomical spectacle cannot be observed from Europe. A partial solar eclipse was announced only on the western end of the continent, for example in parts of Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Great Britain, as well as in Iceland. The last time a total solar eclipse was seen in Germany was in August 1999, and the next one will occur in September 2081.

(Source: APA)