All eyes were on the skies Monday as a total solar eclipse, one of nature’s most spectacular sights, moved through North America.
All eyes were on the skies Monday as a total solar eclipse, one of nature’s most spectacular sights, moved through North America.
Weather permitting, the total eclipse was visible on a path from Mexico through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before venturing into eastern Canada.
NBC News on Monday provided a livestream showing crowds across the country and a view of the eclipse in the path of totality. WRAL’s Brian Shrader was in western Ohio and watched as the moon fully covered the sun.
The total solar eclipse was not visible in North Carolina, but a partial eclipse was visible.
Hour by hour: People watch the eclipse across the US
“Where skies are clear,” WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said, “we will get to see the cool crescent shapes the sun makes with the moon partially covering it.”
A partial solar eclipse was visible in North Carolina after 2 p.m. The peak of eclipse viewing in Raleigh came around 3:15 p.m. and lasted for about four minutes.
For many Americans, the event was one of the biggest astronomical phenomena since the August 2017 total eclipse.
In October of 2023, there was an annular solar eclipse where the path extended over the northwest and southwest U.S.
The eclipse will make for a compelling sight that reveals the Sun’s corona in an unusually darkened sky.
“I’ve been talking about this one for years,” said NASA Ambassador Tony Rice. “It’s going to be the highlight of the year.”
In an annular eclipse, the moon covers the sun, but never reaches 100 percent totality. The outer edge still shines during an annular eclipse, which creates a neat effect referred to as “the ring of fire.”
During a total eclipse, the moon completely covers the sun. The corona is only visible at 100 percent obscuration, which is only possible inside the path of totality.
