US watches in awe as total eclipse occurs for the first time in a century

Millions of people across America were awestruck by the rare and natural phenomenon of solar eclipse as it took place after 99 years. On Monday, throngs of people gathered outside their homes to witness this miracle of nature, marveling at how beautiful it looked.

Many people arranged family events, days-off and even marriage proposals on this historic day as the first solar eclipse in a century swept across the US skies. The moon blotted out the sun’s rays for two minutes at a time and the sky went completely dark then. At the time of the total eclipse, the stars started showing, coyotes started howling and the temperature dropped considerably, all exhibiting signs of night.

Even President Donald Trump stepped out of the White House with his family to witness this wonder. However, the President opted not to wear the protective glasses while looking at the sun and this can cause permanent eye damage.

“It’s more powerful than I expected,” Robert Sarazin Blake, 40, a singer from Bellingham, Washington, said after the eclipse passed over Roshambo ArtFarm in Sheridan, Oregon. “All of a sudden you’re completely in another world. It’s like you’re walking on air or tunnelling underground like a badger.”

The last total solar eclipse in the US took place in 1979 while the last coast-to-coast total eclipse was last seen in 1918.

It has been reported that this was the most-watched event in the country as almost everyone was watching it and where it was not possible to see, people live-streamed it on the internet or watched it on the television.

The eclipse first reached “totality” – the shadow cast when the sun is completely blocked by the moon – in Oregon at 10:15 a.m. PDT (1715 GMT) and began spreading eastward.

The eclipse made its exit at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 GMT) near Charleston.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=55274

Posted by fatimaarshad on Aug 22 2017. Filed under Latest News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.