Rare Total Solar Eclipse Unites Americans in Awe
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Monday, a rare total solar eclipse passed across the United States, turning the lights off as totality moved into Canada from Mexico's Pacific coast.
Key Details: As the moon's shadow passed across the U.S., major cities such as Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, and New York City were engulfed in shadow in the middle of the day. Tens of millions of people looked to the sky as day turned to night along a stretch of land that was more than 4,000 miles long and 155 miles wide.
Key Quote: "As it started to get lighter the crickets were there, and the birds started singing. It was really crazy," one observer said. "I'm sad it's over."
For Context: The total solar eclipse was only the second one visible from the U.S. during the 21st century. The first was in 2017, and millions gathered to watch. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be in 2044.
How the Media Covered it: Sources across the political spectrum noted that the eclipse saw Americans coming together to experience the event, bringing a sense of insignificance and solitude to many.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
A Moment of Unity, on Earth as in SpaceMaybe it takes an extraterrestrial event to bring this shredded country together. For a phenomenon that traversed the country from the contentious southern border to the far reaches of New England, Monday’s eclipse attracted remarkably few conspiracy theories or accusations. From where I stood, in Buffalo, the major threat to the moment was a forecast of heavy clouds.
Bring on the ominous metaphors: We don’t have the foggiest idea where we’re going. This year, the eclipse passes America by. Here comes the rain again.
Perhaps I was too primed to...
From the Center
Total solar eclipse: Continent watches in wonderAcross Mexico, the US and Canada, inside a ribbon of land stretching 155 miles wide but more than 4,000 miles long, tens of millions of people craned their necks, tilted their heads to the sky and watched in wonder as the day turned to night.
What many saw on Monday was a phenomenon like no other: the Moon moving between the Earth and the Sun, extinguishing its light in a total solar eclipse.
The path of totality spanned the continent, beginning over the warm sands of a Mexican beach town...
From the Right
North America comes together to watch the solar eclipse: photosPeople across North America put everything down to observe the solar eclipse that blocked the sun for over 180 million individuals.
The eclipse stretched from Mexico’s Pacific coast, all the way to the territory of Newfoundland in Canada, passing through 15 US states in the process.
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