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California wasn’t in the path of totality today, but many beautiful pictures of the eclipse were still taken, and it was still a stunning sight to see.
The weather was cloudy in many areas of California, but residents still got some great pictures.
This is the first time a total solar eclipse has been visible in the U.S. mainland since 1979, and the first time since 1918 that it’s been visible from coast to coast. We won’t have another total solar eclipse in the U.S. until 2024.
And for a bit of a historical reference, this photo in California is from 1889, according to Getty.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon’s disk completely covers the sun’s disk in the sky. For a couple minutes, the sun is shadowed by the moon, leaving brief darkness in the area as the moon shadows the sun. It’s a unique and fascinating experience.
The eclipse was best visible in northern California, and less could be seen as you traveled south. Towns near the Oregon border had the best views, since Oregon was in the path of totality.
From Oregon to South Carolina, a stretch of about 70 miles in America had a “path of totality” to see the solar eclipse 100 percent. This included areas in Idaho, Illinois, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. In areas where there was a full eclipse, the temperature could drop as much as 10 degrees.
Traffic was extra heavy in areas near totality, but it was well worth it for everyone who had a chance to see the eclipse, whether full or partial, today.