Millions of people in Mexico, the United States and Canada have on Monday a total solar eclipse experienced. Such a celestial spectacle occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and completely obscures the sun.
Starting over the Pacific The umbra stretched over northern Mexico, crossed the USA from Texas northeast to Maine, touched southeast Canada and ended over the North Atlantic.
Already in Mexico Thousands of tourists and residents watched in the coastal city of Mazatlán on the Pacificas seen by the solar eclipse became largely dark for a few minutes at midday.
When the sky cleared again, there was applause and tears, as the Milenio television station reported on site. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also flew to Mazatlán to witness the event. He also held his usual press conference from there.
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In the USA, millions of people had been preparing for the spectacle in the sky for months and had planned parties to watch it together. The zone was home to major cities such as Dallas, Indianapolis, Buffalo and Montreal, and a total of more than 30 million people live there. Numerous schools remained closed, hotels and holiday apartments were fully booked long in advance, and there was increased traffic.
In many places clouds spoiled the spectacle a little, nevertheless millions of people watched the event equipped with special glasses and with lots of cheers and applause. Scientists had also been preparing for the event for months. The US space agency Nasa examined the solar eclipse using aircraft and balloons, among other things.
Anyone who wants to see the next total solar eclipse in Germany will have to wait another 57 years until 2081.
What is a total solar eclipse?
“A total solar eclipse occurs, when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and completely obscures the sun,” says the US space agency NASA. “The sky darkens, as if it were dawn or dusk.NASA also calls it a “cosmic masterpiece.”
“Solar eclipses have a very special power,” NASA boss Bill Nelson said at a press conference. “They move people and give them a deep respect for the universe.”
How common is such an event?
Overall, such events are not that rare. Approximately There are two to five solar eclipses worldwide every year, However, this also includes partial solar eclipses. The fact that the sun is completely obscured only happens about once every one or two years. This is only visible from a small part of the earth. On average, a total solar eclipse can only be seen from a given location on Earth about every 375 years.
What do you see in North America?
The last total solar eclipse was seen from the USA in 2017, from Mexico in 1991 and from Canada in 1979.
The next one – after this Monday – for the USA and Canada is only announced for 2044, and for Mexico for 2052. In The last time was in Germany in August 1999 to see a total solar eclipsethe next one will take place in September 2081. (dpa/Tsp)