Rare total solar eclipse hits Mexico, USA

This was a rare celestial phenomenon of a total solar eclipse for the first time in seven years.

This is a phenomenon in which the moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking out its light and turning day, for a few minutes, into night.

The "path of totality," where the Moon completely obscures the Sun's light, hit across Mexico and the United States, before returning to the ocean over Canada's Atlantic coast.

The celestial spectacle is being witnessed by tens of millions of people.

Beginning in the southern Pacific Ocean, the solar eclipse was first seen by the people in southern Mexico from shore. Moving up into the United States, Texas witnessed darkness and the celestial phenomenon would then continue northeast before coming to an end off the coast of Newfoundland.

In Canada, the stretch where the moon will block the sunlight entirely would include parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland. People outside the path of totality will see a partial solar eclipse, with just some of the sun obscured by the moon.

NASA tweeted saying: "We're getting our first views of the 2024 total solar #eclipse as its shadow makes landfall in Mazatlán, Mexico."

The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from a large part of North America won't come around until 2044.

Festivals, viewing parties, and even mass weddings have been planned along the eclipse's "path of totality".