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Spectacle for the whole family: The Debenhams traveled to Makanda, Illinois to watch the solar eclipse

Photo: Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS

Millions of people in North America observed a rare total solar eclipse on Monday. The moon's shadow plunged the west coast of Mexico into total darkness at 11:07 a.m. local time (8:07 p.m. CEST) and from there traveled across 15 US states towards Canada within an hour and a half. Festivals, parties and even mass weddings took place along the route, where it would get dark for a few minutes at a time.

“It was spectacular,” said Paulina Nava from Mazatlán. People “shouted, applauded, some took photos, others kissed.” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who observed the astronomical phenomenon from the seaside resort of Mazatlán on the Pacific, also spoke of a "very beautiful, unforgettable day." Thousands of kilometers away in Montreal, Canada, tens of thousands of people gathered in a large park.

The area from which the complete obscuration of the Sun could be seen was around 185 kilometers wide. In the United States, almost 32 million people live in this area, which includes the major cities of Dallas, Indianapolis and Buffalo. Outside the area, millions more people were able to observe a partial solar eclipse, such as in Mexico City and New York.

The astronomical event caused immense hype. In the affected area in the USA, hotel rooms had mostly been fully booked for months. More than 300 couples held a mass wedding in Russellville, Arkansas.

The airline Delta had planned two special flights along the route. Many schools in the area affected by the solar eclipse remained closed on Monday. The US authorities had referred to safety instructions before the solar eclipse. This included wearing solar eclipse glasses when looking at the sun, otherwise there was a risk of serious eye damage.

Next total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026

On average, such an event can only be observed from a specific location on our planet about once every 375 years. People in the USA last had the opportunity to observe a solar eclipse in 2017 - although from a smaller area than this time.

The next total solar eclipse will take place on August 12, 2026 - and will cover large parts of the Northern Hemisphere. A total solar eclipse will then be visible from Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area in Portugal. A partial solar eclipse can be seen in Europe on March 29th next year.

In North America the next total solar eclipse will not occur until 2044 - and in Germany not until September 2081.

NASA has published a list of upcoming solar and lunar eclipses here.

vet/AFP