Watching the Total Eclipse Across North America
Today, in one of the greatest one-day migrations in history, humans flocked by the millions to a swath of North America that was briefly cast in a shadow of darkness and wonder. They crowded into airplanes, buses and trains, braved traffic jams, and slept in overpriced hotels, in tents and in their cars. For a cosmic moment, they were connected across the millennia with every other person who has ever experienced an eclipse, witnessing the light die and then be reborn as a dazzling ring. — Dennis Overbye
Mexico
2:07 p.m. ET
Mazatlán
On the Pacific Coast in Sinaloa State, the city of Mazatlán opened its baseball stadium to eclipse viewers. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also viewed the eclipse from Mazatlán.
There was spectacular weather, dancing in the streets and cliff divers.
“I can’t imagine being anywhere else in the world for this,” said Dr. James Raniolo, 50, a doctor from Jackson Hole, Wyo., who booked a last-minute ticket to Mazatlán to see the eclipse.
2:14 p.m. ET
Nazas
This part of central Mexico experienced the greatest duration of the eclipse — four minutes and 28 seconds. Thousands of residents and visitors viewed the event from the baseball field at Hidalgo de Dolores Elementary School.
Nazas, with 14,000 people, is not known for tourism. Residents began renting out their homes after area hotels reached capacity.
2:14 p.m. ET
Cuatro Ciénegas
Amid a vast landscape of gypsum dune fields — formed over millions of years — spectators viewed the eclipse.
Texas
2:27 p.m. ET
Eagle Pass
The border city of Eagle Pass has recently been inundated with hundreds of migrants arriving daily. Now, hundreds of people coming to view the eclipse have also arrived in the city.
“We want people to see that Eagle Pass is more than just a destination for migrants,” Federico Garza, the police chief, said. The city held a three-day music festival that began on Saturday.
2:32 p.m. ET
Fredericksburg
The hills and granite outcroppings of the Texas Hill Country provided a serene yet dramatic environment for eclipse viewing. People there gathered for camping, drum circles, meditation, and wine tastings.
2:36 p.m. ET
Austin
Vampire Weekend performed at Austin’s Moody Amphitheater, an experience for music and science lovers alike. Thousands of fans danced energetically while taking breaks to stare up at the sky with their eclipse-viewing glasses.
2:40 p.m. ET
Dallas
Crowds set up their picnic blankets alongside the Trinity River, which runs through Dallas, one of the largest cities to experience the total eclipse.
Arkansas
2:50 p.m. ET
Morrilton
In the Natural State’s first state park, revelers gathered on top of the ancient geology of Petit Jean Mountain to experience totality high above the Arkansas River.
2:50 p.m. ET
Russellville
More than 100 couples were married in a giant ceremony just minutes before the eclipse, during the Total Eclipse of the Heart festival.
The day began with hot air balloon rides, and couples shared a dance during the eclipse to the song, “Here Comes the Sun,” performed live by the Liverpool Legends, a Beatles cover band.
2:52 p.m. ET
Saint Joe
This rural Ozark mountain town, with a population of 130, hosted thousands of visitors. Many locals planned to hunker down at home with friends and family, avoiding the crowds in town.
Illinois
2:59 p.m. ET
Murphysboro
This part of Southern Illinois was one the most popular spots in the Midwest to view the 2017 eclipse.
Indiana
3:05 p.m. ET
Indianapolis
At the Indianapolis Zoo, researchers, animal keepers and volunteers studied the animals’ response to the eclipse.
At totality, as the people at the zoo began to cheer, some animals seemed to react not to the lack of light — but to the unfamiliar abundance of loud people.
3:05 p.m. ET
Brownsburg
At Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, one of the country’s best-known drag-racing tracks, spectators camped out for an event that included a concert. As the sky grew dusky around 3 p.m. local time, two dragsters raced down the track.
Ohio
3:12 p.m. ET
Put-in-Bay
South Bass, a Lake Erie island, is home to the village of Put-in-Bay and its 200 or so full-time residents. Spectators traveling by ferry overwhelmed the tiny island.
3:13 p.m. ET
Cleveland
In Cleveland, NASA held an eclipse festival at the Great Lakes Science Center, while the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame streamed a live eclipse soundtrack through the city’s Rock Boxes — speakers that are placed throughout downtown Cleveland — including music by David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Taylor Swift.
New York
3:18 p.m. ET
Arcade
On Monday morning, hundreds of passengers boarded a World War II-era train on the Arcade & Attica Railroad. The train carried them on a scenic ride to a depot where passengers watched the eclipse. While the day had started sunny, clouds rolled in around noon, obscuring the main event.
3:18 p.m. ET
Buffalo
Eclipse Fest, an event with games, entertainment and food, welcomed residents and visitors to Buffalo State University’s Coyer Field.
3:18 p.m. ET
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, one of the best known natural wonders, was a popular place for eclipse viewers, with a soundtrack of millions of gallons of water roaring over the falls.
3:22 p.m. ET
Syracuse
Before the first pitch was thrown at a minor league game between the Syracuse Mets and the Worcester Red Sox, fans were treated to live entertainment, along with a — very cloudy — viewing of the eclipse.
New England
3:26 p.m. ET
Burlington, Vt.
Eclipse enthusiasts came in droves to Burlington, on the shores of Lake Champlain. Hotels sold out as travelers came for watch parties, performances and family-friendly activities.
3:32 p.m. ET
Houlton, Maine
This small city on the border with Canada was among the last towns in the U.S. to experience the eclipse. Visitors were treated to clear skies in this normally cloudy part of the country.
Canada
3:12 p.m. ET
Leamington, Ontario
Point Pelee National Park is on a peninsula that narrows into a sharp sandy spike jutting into Lake Erie. It’s Canada’s southernmost mainland point, and was one of the eclipse’s first stops in the country.
3:26 p.m. ET
Montreal
With 1.7 million residents, Montreal is the most populous city on the path of totality. Montrealers and visitors gathered in the city’s numerous parks to watch the eclipse.
3:33 p.m. ET
Fredericton, New Brunswick
The small capital city of the coastal province of New Brunswick is a picturesque university town known for its network of walking and cycling trails. The city hosted EclipseFest, which featured performances, food and science exhibits
3:40 p.m. ET
Gander, Newfoundland
On Sept. 11, 2001, residents of Gander opened their homes to thousands of passengers who were grounded after the World Trade Center was attacked. On Monday, they displayed their hospitality for a different kind of event.
Even though a dark cloud crossed as the eclipse reached totality in Gander, Newfoundland, cheers still rose from the crowd of several hundred at a local college’s parking lot. Cloud gaps in the distance revealed the sunset effect on the horizon.
