A total solar eclipse has begun. The totality lasts a maximum of 4 minutes and 28 seconds in certain places.
The solar eclipse will cross North America, darkening the sky along a path through Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Here’s the latest:
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE BEGINS IN NORTH AMERICA OVER MEXICO
A total solar eclipse has reached North America over Mexico, as crowds gather along the country’s Pacific coast.
It will race towards the United States and eastern Canada before leaving the Atlantic Ocean.
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TEXANS GRATEFUL FOR BREAK IN CLOUDS
MESQUITE, Texas – City officials cheered as the thick clouds parted early in the afternoon and the sun peeked out, the moon already taking a bite out of it.
“We special ordered the sun this morning,” said Beverly Abell, downtown development manager.
Hundreds gathered at Front Street Station for the outdoor watch party, many pulling out their eclipse glasses to watch the moon’s bite continue to grow.
At the Fort Worth Zoo, clouds occasionally passed over as the eclipse began. Zoo visitors stopped along the trails to take it in.
Todd Beeby, 34, drove up with friends from Houston. He said even with some clouds passing by, visibility was good.
“It’s kind of fun to watch it roll in and out,” he said.
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CHEERS IN MEXICO AS THE MOON STARTS OVER THE SUN
MAZATLAN, Mexico — Cheers broke out along the beach of this beach town as the moon began moving over the sun.
Hundreds of people at a beachside park had spent the wait by getting their equipment ready and listening to a youth orchestra playing Star Wars songs while a large screen projected images of Princess Leia behind them.
Luz Elena Aguillón de la O sat in the grass with a group of 14 family and friends who had gathered from Mexico City, Guanajuato and here in Mazatlan to watch the spectacle.
“Happy to be here with family and friends sharing a special, unrepeatable event that the universe and nature give us,” she said.
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BIDEN ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has sent word a short video about X to encourage Americans to wear eye protection when viewing the solar eclipse — in a subtle dig at his predecessor and 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.
“Folks, enjoy the eclipse, but play it safe and don’t be silly,” Biden said in a video that showed him donning eclipse glasses and looking skyward from the balcony outside the Blue Room of the White House.
That’s where Trump looked at the sun without eye protection in 2017.
Biden will travel to Wisconsin, which, like Washington, will experience a partial solar eclipse on Monday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no details on whether Biden would see the phenomenon.
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PARTIAL ECLIPSE BEGINS OVER THE SOUTH PACIFIC
The moon begins to cover the sun as a partial solar eclipse begins over the South Pacific. Millions of people along a narrow corridor in North America, from Mexico’s Pacific coast to eastern Canada, are hoping the clouds will clear as they eagerly wait for totality to reach their location.
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The Mexican seaside resort is first in line for the totality
MAZATLAN, Mexico — Valeria Rosas says her four children were so excited by an October partial solar eclipse that passed over southeastern Mexico that she decided to come to this Pacific coast beach city for Monday’s total solar eclipse.
The 32-year-old drove eight hours from Leon, Guanajuato, with 10 friends and family members.
They joined hundreds of others at a beachside park, under a blue sky full of wispy clouds. It is the first part of North America to see the total solar eclipse.
Rosas’ mother, Carmen Loza Rodríguez, recalled that Rosas was a baby when Mexico last saw a total solar eclipse in 1991.
“How cool that we have the opportunity to experience this in this digital age, that we can share it with the world,” Rosas said.
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SPECTATORS ARRIVE EARLY AT NIAGARA FALLS
NIAGARA FALLS, New York — The main attraction at Niagara Falls is usually the more than 750,000 liters of water that rush over the edge every second. Monday was the solar eclipse.
Tourists poured into Niagara Falls State Park with wagons, strollers, coolers and chairs. Under an overcast sky, photographers’ tripods lined a railing.
Synthia Nguyen and Jen Cerna from Washington, DC claimed a prime spot on the lawn along the rapids and arrived at 6 a.m. with chairs, a blanket and a tent – which they were quickly asked to take down.
They were excited that the whole thing would last a few minutes, long enough for it to sink in.
The pair work in an ophthalmology office.
“We’re expecting a lot of calls tomorrow,” Cerna said.
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WILL THERE BE A CLEAR SKY?
The weather doesn’t look good for much of the eclipse’s path. Clouds may be in the way along part of the route, with the heaviest cloud cover expected in parts of Texas.
There are patches that may be obvious. And meteorologists point out that the eclipse may still be visible when the clouds are high and thin.
The only area where clear skies are expected is northern New England through Canada.
That area has “a pretty solid lock to see the eclipse pretty crystal clear,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Snell.
Fifteen US states will have a chance to see the full solar eclipse, although only a small portion of Tennessee and Michigan are included. The length of totality varies by location.
The moon’s shadow falling on Earth follows a path 185 kilometers wide. Virtually everyone in North America has a chance to see at least a partial solar eclipse. The further away from the path of totality it is, the smaller the moon’s bite from the sun will be.
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CITIES AND CITIES CITIES FOR THE CROWD
Small towns and rural communities along the eclipse path are looking for huge crowds.
Tourism and community leaders from Texas to Maine brought in extra fuel and port-a-potties, urging residents and visitors to be prepared — and be patient.
Some provinces have issued disaster declarations to gain additional police and other assistance, similar to the aftermath of major storms.
Among them is Kerr County, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, where its normal population of 53,000 is expected to double or triple.
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