On Monday at the U. S. Air Force Base, stars appeared in the sky, zoo animals were running in restless circles, crickets were chirping, birds were silent, and cold darkness covered the land. S.
Witness its first complete-blown, coast-to-
A coastal eclipse since World War I.
Millions of Americans are staring in amazement at the wonder of the universe, which has the best seat in the world. -
The so-called Total Eclipse Road ran 2,600 miles(
4200 km)
From Oregon to South Carolina.
"It's a very primitive experience," said Julie Wiegrand of Portland, Oregon, who saw the sun fade into a silver aperture in Salem and burst into tears.
It took 90 minutes for the shadow of the moon to cross the country.
Along this path, the moon obscured the noon sun anywhere for about two minutes, causing people gathered in stadiums, parks and backyards to shout, shout and shout.
By all accounts, this is the most important. -
Observation and most-
Historically recorded solar eclipses are recorded by satellite-
High-altitude balloons, viewed from the earth through telescopes, cameras and cardboard-
Wear protective glasses.
In Boise, Idaho, more than 99 percent of the sun is blocked and street lights are briefly on, while in Nashville, Tennessee, people crane their necks to the sky and drink long-necked beer in Nudi's bars.
Passengers on the Caribbean cruise liner watched it unfold, and Bonnie Taylor sang her 1983 "Total Eclipse of Heart". ”Several minor-
League Baseball Team-
One of them, the Colombian firefly, wears glowing clothes. -in-the-dark jerseys —
The play was temporarily suspended.
At the White House, President Donald Trump took off his eclipse glasses and looked directly into the sun, despite warnings from experts about the danger of eye injuries.
The total eclipse path of the sun, 100% obscured by the moon, is only 60 to 70 miles. (
96-113 km)wide.
But the rest of North America suffered from partial eclipses, as did the upstream regions of Central and South America.
The sky was clear on most routes, relieving those who feared that clouds would destroy the moment.
"Oh, my God, oh, that's amazing," said Joe Dellinger, a Houstonian who installed telescopes on the lawn of the Capitol Building in Jefferson, Missouri.
"It's better than any photograph.
"For the youngest observer, it's like magic.
"Really, really, really, really great," 9-year-
Old Cammy Smith gazes at the totally eclipsed sun on Beverly Beach, Oregon. NASA Report 4.
Four million people watched its television coverage during the eclipse, the largest live event in NASA's history.
"It can be religious.
"It makes you feel like you're just a minor flaw in the whole project," says experienced Eclipse. -
The observer, Mike Ollie from San Diego, installed his camera in Casper, Wyoming, with hundreds of other amateur astronomers.
John Hayes drove from the Bishop of California to Salem, Oregon, for a total solar eclipse. He said the experience would be with him forever.
"That silver ring is so hypnotic and charming that it really reminds you of magic or magic," he said.
More than one parent was surprised to see teenagers lifting their heads from their mobile phones.
Patrick Schueck, president of a construction company from Little Rock, Arkansas, brought his 10-year-
In Alto Pass, Illinois, twin daughters Eva and Hayden range from the bald ball cross and the Peace Cross to a man in his 100s. -
Walk across the top of the hill.
At first, Shuck said his daughters were not very interested in the eclipse.
One sits and looks at her iPhone.
"It changed quickly," he said.
"From their indifference to total surprise.
Schueck called it an opportunity to "do something with my daughters that they will remember for the rest of their lives. "
Astronomers were also dizzy with excitement.
Alex Young, a NASA solar physicist, said that the last time Earth humans had such a connection with the sky was when Apollo 8 first flew to the moon in 1968.
The first famous "Earth Rises" photo was taken from this mission, which, like this solar eclipse, shows us that "we are part of something bigger".
"Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot watched happily from a plane flying over the Oregon coast and joked about space. -
The agency official next to him said, "I want to compete with this man for a window seat.
"To further understand the composition of the sun and the mysterious solar wind, NASA and other scientists have observed and analyzed it from the ground and sky, including the International Space Station.
When the day turns to dusk, citizen scientists monitor the behavior of animals and plants.
About 7,000 people flocked to the Nashville Zoo just to observe the animals'reactions and notice how they became noisier because it became darker.
As night fell, giraffes began to run around in crazy circles and flamingos crowded together, although zoo managers did not know whether it was a solar eclipse or to frighten their noisy, cheering crowds.
"I didn't expect to accept it so emotionally.
Stephen Foster, a zoo volunteer, said, "I really have a cold bump.
In Charleston, South Carolina, the eclipse is the last stop in the United States. S.
Ellie Stern, a 20-year-old junior, said, "That's great.
It looks like a banana peel, like a shiny banana peel, a little hard to describe and imagine, but it's super cool.
"After the celestial phenomena, the solar eclipse-
Observers returning home in Tennessee and Wyoming spent hours in traffic jams.
In Kentucky, two women standing on the sidewalk watching the eclipse were hit by a car and one woman died, authorities said.
The earth, moon and sun are perfectly aligned every one to three years, briefly turning a small part of the earth's day into night.
But these scenes are usually not on human land, such as the vast Pacific Ocean or the two poles of the Earth.
It's the first time in the age of social media that such a densely populated area has been eclipsed. The last coast-to-
Total solar eclipse on the coast of the United States. S.
In 1918, Woodrow Wilson became President.
The last total solar eclipse in the United States. S.
In 1979, only five states experienced total darkness in the Northwest.
The next total lunar eclipse in the United States. S.
It will be 2024. The next coast-to-
Coastal 1 will be in 2045.
Associated Press correspondents Gillian Francis and Andrew Serski are in Salem, Oregon.
Peter Banda, Caspar, Wyoming;
Carlin Rousseau in Chicago;
Seth Bolenstein, Nashville, Tennessee;
Johnny Clark of Charleston, South Carolina;
Beth Hapaz of Madisonville, Tennessee, contributed to the report. ———