On Saturday, the wondrous spectacle of an annular solar eclipse transfixed crowds across the Americas as thousands of astronomy enthusiasts gathered to see a celestial phenomenon that looks like the Moon is taking a bite out of the Sun. The rare event occurs when the Moon is at its farthest distance from Earth, does not entirely obscure the Sun, but leaves a stunning “ring of fire” in the sky.
The dazzling display of physics can only be seen from locations within the Moon’s 125-mile-wide path of annularity, which this year stretched from Oregon to Texas and south through Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. You will only see a partial eclipse unless you are in that area. The closer you are to the center of that path, the longer the duration of the ring of fire.
Thousands of sky-watchers packed parks, stadiums, and beaches to witness the eclipse. Some drove hundreds of miles to do so, including a group from southern California that drove to the northern Mexican city of Campeche. Others hopped on trains, buses, and planes for the once-in-a-lifetime event.
The spectacle was also broadcast on television and the Internet, with CNN and other news outlets providing live reports. And many schools set up telescopes and taught students how to view the event safely.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the eclipse coincided with the city’s annual balloon fiesta, drawing crowds of eclipse watchers to a spot a stone’s throw from the famed Route 66. Engineering students from Penn State helped visitors make their box projectors — similar to the ones used by the ancient Maya, who called eclipses “broken sun” and wore dark volcanic glass to protect their eyes.
Many eclipse-watchers wore safety glasses or hats with blackout shades to shield their eyes from direct sunlight during the brief period when the Moon’s shadow covers the Sun. Some people even made special viewing devices, like a piece of cardboard taped over sunglasses.
But most stayed for the entire event, awed by the majesty of nature’s ocular theater. “It’s one of those things you can’t miss,” said Oscar Lopez, 26, a bank employee from Mexico City who was at the park with his wife and two kids. “It’s amazing. We’re fortunate as human beings to experience these things.” And he hopes that his young son will be able to enjoy the same experience next spring when a total solar eclipse crosses part of the U.S., from Mazatlan to Newfoundland.