Ingram, USA:
On Monday, the day disappeared, only to reappear minutes later across the American South. People hugged, cried and gasped as they watched the moon completely cover the sun and briefly plunge the world into darkness.
About 2,000 people flocked to Ingram, Texas, a small city on the “path of totality” in the southern United States, where the entire eclipse could be seen.
Lying on mattresses on the grass, sipping wine from the comfort of folding chairs, or peering into large telescopes, spectators wearing special protective glasses celebrated each time the gray clouds cleared, allowing them to enjoy the spectacle.
“Three two one!” a man shouted.
And there’s the moon, a black sphere that completely covers the sun, with only tiny slivers of light escaping from the edges. It was 1:32 pm local time.
Librarian Mary Elizabeth Fernandez, 43, said she came to Ingram because she wanted to observe the eclipse from Stonehenge II, a replica of the town’s famous prehistoric stone monument.
“It was so touching and spectacular. I tried to take pictures with my camera,” said Fernandez, who was accompanied by her boyfriend.
“I cried a little bit because it was so beautiful. I’m really happy to be a part of it with everyone here. It’s really great.”
A few meters away, a large family was sharing drinks and snacks.
Mary McClintock, 77, a retired teacher, said her relatives came to Ingram from three different states: California, Florida and Illinois.
“We were happy to see different stages, even though it was cloudy,” McClintock told AFP. “We wanted to be together. So we thought, even if it was cloudy, we’d be happy to come as a family. We’re going to enjoy every minute we have here.”
light conquers darkness
Meanwhile, Jeni Lyn Hunter, 60, and her husband, Charles Guillory, 57, stared at the sky, large wizard hats perched precariously on their heads.
“This means a lot to me because I have stage 4 cancer. But I’m not going to give up, this is the rebirth of the sun of life,” Hunter said.
“It’s a cycle of life and death and rebirth, and I want to live for him and live for me because I don’t want to go anywhere.”
Guillory at his wife’s side. “My hope is that she stays with me,” he said.
Farther away, beneath replicas of the moai, the giant stone figures on Easter Island, Gary Christensen and his wife, Elizabeth, celebrate her husband’s 62nd birthday Take photos as a souvenir.
“For a year and a half, that was the only gift we gave each other every Christmas, every Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, ‘Oh, we’re going to see the eclipse.'”
Then there’s 31-year-old Robb Guzman, who wears a green alien mask with long eyes. “I thought aliens were coming this time,” he said. “But it’s still great.”
spiritual meaning
More than 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometers) away in Niagara Falls, Canada, crowds of people watched the eclipse amid the sounds of seagulls and the roar of the famous waterfall.
Debi Flamand, a member of Canada’s Manawan First Nations community, said witnessing the total solar eclipse “is very spiritual for us because the sun is our grandfather to us and the moon is our grandmother. “
Over the next few minutes, the sky above the falls and the distant silhouette of Toronto darkened as spectators roared with excitement.
Madison, a young woman from Boston, couldn’t believe her eyes. “Things that feel impossible in the vast universe happen right here,” she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
