North America’s total solar eclipse: birds and other animals fall silent while planets and stars pop out
- An eclipse is when the moon is in front of the sun and blocks it
The next coast-to-coast eclipse in North America will be in 21 years.
The next coast-to-coast eclipse in North America will be in 21 years.
Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Mexico, the US and Canada experienced a chilly, midday darkness earlier this month as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent. It was a thrill for those lucky enough to behold the spectacle.
During the full eclipse, the moon slipped right in front of the sun, entirely blocking it. The resulting twilight, with only the sun’s outer atmosphere or corona visible, was long enough for birds and other animals to fall silent and for planets and stars to pop out.
Almost everyone in North America could see at least a partial eclipse. The darkness lasted up to four minutes and 28 seconds.
It was the continent’s biggest eclipse audience ever. A couple hundred million people lived in or near the shadow’s path, and they were joined by visitors flocking in to see the eclipse. The next coast-to-coast eclipse is 21 years away.
