Midday darkness wows a continent

The day died and was reborn a few minutes later across North America. There were hugs, tears and gasping as people watched the moon fully eclipse the sun and briefly plunge the world into darkness.

Street lights blinked on and the planets came into view, as the moon shrouded the sun for a few minutes across the land. Dogs howled, frogs croaked and some people wept, all part of the eclipse mania gripping Mexico, the United States and Canada.

It was the continent's biggest eclipse audience ever, with a couple hundred million people living in or near the shadow's path, plus scores of out-of-towners flocking in to see it. With the next coast-to-coast eclipse 21 years out, the pressure was on to catch this one.

About 2,000 people flocked to Ingram in the southern US state of Texas, a small city in the "path of totality" where the solar eclipse could be observed in its entirety. The viewers, their eyes covered by special protective glasses, celebrated each time gray clouds parted, letting them enjoy the wonder.

And there was the moon, a black orb completely covering the sun, with only tiny slivers of light escaping from the edges. It was 1.32pm local time.

Mary Elizabeth Fernandez, a 43-year-old librarian, said the event "was moving and spectacular ... I cried a little because it was just so beautiful."

A few meters away, a large family shared drinks and snacks. Mary McClintock, a 77-year-old retired teacher, said her relatives converged on Ingram from three different states - California, Florida and Illinois. She said: "We were so happy to see the different stages that we got to see even though it was cloudy."

And then there was Robb Guzman, 31, wearing a mask of a green extraterrestrial with large elongated eyes.

"I thought the aliens were going to come this time," he said. "But it was still fantastic."

Meanwhile, more than 2,250 kilometers away at Niagara Falls, Canada, crowds of people observed the eclipse under the roar of the famous waterfall.

For several minutes, the skies above the waterfalls and Toronto's distant silhouette grew dark as observers shouted in excitement and awe at the spectacle.