Millions of Americans have been enthralled as they gazed up at the sky to watch a total solar eclipse.
Total solar eclipse is a "cosmos spectacular"
From Oregon in the west to South Carolina in the east – millions donned protective classes to watch as the moon passed in front of the sun.
It was the first total solar eclipse in a century to sweep across the United States from coast to coast.
Aaron Scott from Oregon was overwhelmed:
“You take the glasses off and it looks like it’s nighttime. And it’s just, the corona was just hard to describe, you just can’t translate through film. Just being here was great.”
While Stormy Shreves from the same state said it was a sight not to be missed:
“It was wonderful, wonderful and I wish I could do it again but I won’t ever see something like that ever again, so I’m really glad I took then day off work”.
International Space Station #Eclipse photobomb via NASA pic.twitter.com/NashX5OCEX
— Scott Gustin (ScottGustin) August 21, 2017Some 12 million people live in the 113-km-wide, 4,000-km-long zone where the total eclipse appeared, while hordes of others traveled to spots along the route.In Washington, DC, thousands of people lined the National Mall to view a partial eclipse – when four-fifths of the sun was blacked out.
“It’s amazing, super cool,” said Brittany Labrador, a nurse practitioner from Memphis. “It’s kind of just cool to watch in the capital.”
Even US President Donald Trump stopped work to watch a partial eclipse with his wife Melania, from the balcony of the White House although he he had to be told not to look at it without protective glasses.
Aaaaaand here’s your photo of Trump looking straight at the eclipse pic.twitter.com/5vv6sVTDIl— Stefan Marolachakis (@stefanmymind) August 21, 2017The event is said to have inspired Americans to make marriage proposals, hold family reunions and miss work to witness the rare cosmos wonder.
And it may well have drawn one of the largest audiences in human history, including those watching on television and online.