Total solar eclipse photos, videos and reactions from the path of totality

A total solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlán, Mexico on April 8, 2024. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
A total solar eclipse is seen from Mazatlán, Mexico on April 8, 2024. (Henry Romero/Reuters)

A total solar eclipse dazzled citizens of the United States, Mexico and Canada on Monday, giving those lucky enough to have experienced clear skies with a somewhat rare celestial show.

People in Mazatlán, Mexico were the first to see the total solar eclipse at 2:07 p.m. ET. It then continued into Texas and along a “path of totality” spanning more than 100 miles across the width of the continent.

In the U.S., the sun was fully obscured by the moon for a few minutes in 15 states from Texas to Maine, but the eclipse was at least partially visible in 49 states. Alaska was the only state where the eclipse wasn't visible.

Follow along below for Yahoo News’s live coverage of Monday’s total solar eclipse. For those unable to view the eclipse in person, you can watch it in real time by clicking here.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER74 updates
  • Featured

    An eclipse to remember

    • In the United States, the solar eclipse's path of totality began in Eagle Pass, Texas, at 1:27 p.m. local time and ended in Caribou, Maine, at 4:40 p.m. ET.

    • The total eclipse was seen in 15 U.S. states.

    • Students across the country — at elementary schools, high schools and universities — observed the eclipse wearing special glasses to protect their eyes.

    • Some people gathered for mass weddings.

    • Traffic jams, especially along the path of totality, were a common sight.

    • The eclipse dominated social media sites as skies darkened.

    • Commercial airliners and private jets tracked the eclipse as it crossed the sky.

    • The next total eclipse in the U.S. will take place in Alaska on March 30, 2033, while the next to occur in the Lower 48 will not happen until Aug. 22, 2044.

  • Delta meteorologist describes what it was like on the eclipse flight: 'It got very dark'

    After a Delta flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Detroit during the eclipse, passengers shared their enthusiasm about the unusual journey.

    The airline's resident meteorologist, Warren Weston, was on the flight and said that while there were concerns about a thunderstorm in Dallas this afternoon, the experienced pilots delivered a remarkable experience.

    "I thought it was great," Weston said in a video shared on X by journalist Brendan Gutenschwager. "You can tell it got very dark. I looked out of the window and I could see the shadow out on the ground. You could see it on the horizon kind of diminishing as you went further out, so it was obvious that we were right in the totality. I thought that was pretty cool."

    Weston said he and his team planned 24 to 36 hours in advance to be sure the route was perfect.

    "We looked at a lot of data to be able to tell where we were going to enter the eclipse, that we were going to have good viewing, good visibility," he explained. "The first part of our flight, we were kind of in the clouds over Texas and part of Arkansas, then they opened up."

    "It worked out pretty well," Weston said.

  • College students across the country took a break from class to gaze at the sky

    University students, faculty and fellow onlookers gathered at campuses across the United States to watch Monday's solar eclipse. It may have lasted only a few minutes, but based on the numerous posts shared on X, the memories they gained will last a lifetime.

  • A time-lapse video of the eclipse captures day-to-night effect

    As students and faculty gathered at Baylor University’s Fountain Mall in Waco, Texas, a very wise techie decided to set up their phone on the roof of a building and capture a time-lapse video of the eclipse.

    In the video, you see the sky go from bright to dark as the moon travels past the sun.

    The university later shared photos of onlookers gazing at the sky on its official X account: "No matter how you prepare — a total solar eclipse is truly, in every sense of the word, awesome," the post read.

  • Darkness falls over Sylvan Beach, N.Y.

    Yahoo News' Colin Campbell documented the scene during the eclipse in Sylvan Beach, N.Y. Slide the bar on the photo below to see how dark the sky became.

  • Elementary schools host eclipse viewing parties

    Elementary schools across the United States hosted solar eclipse viewing parties. Schools that weren't on the path of totality livestreamed the event with eclipse-themed snacks.

  • Here's how dark the sky got above Niagara Falls during the eclipse

    In Niagara Falls, N.Y., a popular eclipse viewing destination, photographer Scott Gable captured images of the sky above the falls showing just how dark it got during the eclipse. Slide the bar over the photo below to see how the sky changed.

  • 'Underwhelming and anti-climactic': Social media users voice disappointment over clouds obscuring eclipse

    Unfortunately, due to cloud cover, not everyone had a clear view of Monday's solar eclipse. Some people used social media to express their dissatisfaction with their viewing experiences.

  • Did the eclipse damage your eyes? Here are the telltale signs.

    NASA and medical experts urged people to wear proper eclipse glasses or a "safe handheld solar viewer" while viewing the solar eclipse. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, looking at the sun during the eclipse could burn a person's retina and lead to serious vision complications.

    The Miami Herald reports:

    If your eyes hurt after the eclipse, how do you know if it’s a sign of something more serious? The eclipse may cause discomfort — but likely won’t since the retina doesn’t have pain nerves.

    Instead, symptoms you may want to watch out for include blurred vision, headache, sensitivity, distortion, discolored vision or a blind spot. Experts say those symptoms could start appearing within about four hours.

    “Many people recover after three to six months, but some will suffer permanent vision loss in the form of a small blind spot and distortion,” the American Academy of Ophthalmology wrote on its website in 2023.

    Instead of having a black spot in their vision, a person might not see their facial features clearly in a mirror or might see a newspaper without words on it, Space.com reported in 2017.

    Read more from the Miami Herald.

  • 'Once in a lifetime' group wedding ceremonies held during eclipse

    Couples hold hands outside as they wed during a solar eclipse in Trenton, Ohio.
    Couples wed during the solar eclipse in Trenton, Ohio, on Monday. (Jon Cherry/AP)

    Couples in Trenton, Ohio, and Russellville, Ark., got married Monday against the celestial backdrop of a solar eclipse.

    Participants in Ohio were told to bring their eclipse glasses and marriage licenses to the "once in a lifetime wedding." The town's mayor officiated the mass wedding ceremony at Trenton Community Park, about 240 miles from Cleveland. After the ceremony, the newlyweds received a souvenir and a Bundt cake. The next eclipse in Ohio won't happen until 2099.

    More than 200 couples in the Arkansas "Elope at the Eclipse" ceremony exchanged vows just before the eclipse reached totality at 1:50 p.m. CT. The ceremony was free and newlyweds were reimbursed their $60 marriage license fee, according to The Hill. The mass wedding capped the weekend's Total Eclipse of the Heart festival.

    A bride and groom kiss before an outdoor mass wedding in Russellville, Arkansas.
    A bride and groom kiss before a mass wedding on Monday in Russellville, Ark. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
    Two couples look up to view the solar eclipse during totality in Russellville.
    Couples view the solar eclipse during totality in Russellville. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
    A newlywed couple looks up at the total solar eclipse in Trenton.
    A newlywed couple looks up at the total solar eclipse in Trenton. (Jon Cherry/AP)
  • When will the next total solar eclipse occur in the U.S.?

    The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse.
    The eclipse as seen from Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Md., on Monday. (Susan Walsh/AP)

    Unless you live or plan to be in Alaska, you're going to have to wait a little while to see another total solar eclipse in the United States.

    After Alaska's total solar eclipse on March 30, 2033, the next one visible in the U.S. is not due to occur until Aug. 22, 2044, in North Dakota and Montana. And the next total solar eclipse to be visible across the U.S. won't happen until Aug. 12, 2045, with the path of totality stretching across 10 states, from California to Florida.

  • Moon throws deep shade and blocks the sun on NASA's social media

    NASA had some fun on the X account for the moon on Monday, throwing figurative and literal shade at the Earth's sun by blocking its social media page during the total solar eclipse.

  • Here's how dark the sky got in Arkansas during the eclipse

    In Greers Ferry, Ark., just north of Little Rock, photographer Brad Vest captured images for Yahoo News of the sky above Greers Ferry Dam along the Little Red River. The lights on the dam came on briefly during totality.

  • Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' reaches No. 1 on iTunes during the eclipse

    On Monday, Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" reached No.1 on the U.S. iTunes charts as a total solar eclipse crossed much of the nation.

    The single was first released in 1983 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

  • Eclipse ends in the U.S.

    The total solar eclipse has ended in the United States, with the moon completely passing by the sun in Caribou, Maine, at 4:40 p.m. ET.

  • What the eclipse looked like in Choctaw Nation

    Dawn Standridge, Jason Wakinyancikala and Christa Ogden celebrated the total solar eclipse at Wheelock Academy in Millerton, Okla.

    The festivities honor a Choctaw Nation tradition in which Choctaws scare away a mischievous black squirrel who is attempting to eat the sun during a total solar eclipse.

    People bang pots and pans as part of a Choctaw Nation solar eclipse tradition
    People bang pots and pans as part of a Choctaw Nation solar eclipse tradition in Millerton, Okla., on Monday. (Leah Millis/Reuters)
    Christa Ogden participates in Choctaw Nation solar eclipse tradition
    Christa Ogden, a member of Choctaw Nation, enjoying the solar eclipse. (Leah Millis/Reuters)
  • Here's how dark the sky got along the U.S.-Mexico border during the eclipse

    In Piedras Negras, Mexico, photographer Sergio Flores captured these images for Yahoo News looking toward Eagle Pass, Texas, showing just how dark the sky turned there during Monday's total solar eclipse.

  • What it looked like on the sky deck of NYC's Hudson Yards during the eclipse

    People watch the partial solar eclipse in New York City
    A crowd gathers on the Hudson Yards sky deck to watch the solar eclipse in New York City. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

    New York City was not in the path of totality for Monday's total solar eclipse, but that did not stop New Yorkers from stopping to look. One popular spot for viewing was the observation deck atop Midtown Manhattan's Hudson Yards, where several hundred people gathered to experience the partial eclipse 100 stories up.

  • Eclipse viewers gather in New York City's Central Park

    Eclipse viewers gathered in Central Park in New York City on Monday even though the city is outside the path of totality.

    Eclipse viewers in the park.
    (Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News)
    Eclipse viewers in the park.
    (Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News)
    Eclipse viewers in the park.
    (Caitlin Dickson/Yahoo News)
  • How to view the eclipse safely

    Shirley Moore watches the total solar eclipse in San Francisc
    Watching the total solar eclipse in San Francisco on Monday. (Eric Risberg/AP)

    Except during the brief period of totality, it is never safe to look directly at an eclipse without specialized eye protection. Looking at the intense light from the sun even for just a few seconds can cause permanent damage to the retina, the part of the eye directly responsible for vision.

    "You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the sun’s bright face, during the brief and spectacular period known as totality," NASA explains. "You’ll know it’s safe when you can no longer see any part of the sun through eclipse glasses or a solar viewer."

    See these safety guidelines for viewing solar eclipses.

    When in doubt, just remember: Never look directly at the sun.