ASYARFS

As the moon crossed over the sun yesterday, millions of people from Mazatlán to Maine stopped to gaze upward in a profound experience of awe. The solar eclipse tapped into a primal emotion. It evoked for many a mystical moment, as awareness of the celestial encompassed the earth. It revealed the close dance between spirituality and science.

For a nation pulled apart by every manner of division, the eclipse also offered a moment of unity, however brief. It was a reminder to everyone, on the same day and at the same time, that life can be magical. That being alive is a collective experience. That there is something astonishing about being part of the greater story of things.

That’s the subject of today’s newsletter. Below are photos and scenes from Times journalists across the country who witnessed this moment of awe and togetherness.

A woman, wearing eclipse glasses, looks up at the sky with her hands clasped together in prayer.

Eagle Pass, Texas: After the eclipse passed, Mireya Muñoz, 42, put her hands together and silently prayed. The return of the sun’s rays made her feel elated. “I wanted to thank God because we are alive and allowed us to see it,” she said. “I hope to be alive to see the next one, too.”

A woman and a man stare up at the sky wearing eclipse glasses. The man, wearing a deep red button down shirt, is holding a dog. The dog also has glasses on.

Russellville, Ark.: Around 100 couples gathered to be married under the eclipse. They exchanged celestial vows: “I promise to cherish you like this rarest of events, treasuring each moment as if it were a fleeting or shooting star. The galaxies of our dreams, hand in hand, heart to heart, until the end of time. For in my world, you are my sun, my moon and all my stars.”

Two young girls stare up at the sky from inside a camper van.

Carbondale, Ill.: The crowd at Saluki Stadium yelped and whistled and stamped the bleachers as the sky went dark and the sun’s corona beamed. People pointed to Venus and Jupiter, visible on either side of the eclipsed sun. The screams grew louder as the sun conquered the lunar surface and brightened the sky again.

Two children, wearing orange glasses, look up in the sky. The boy in the foreground opens his mouth in wonder.

Niagara Falls, N.Y.: Darkness set in above heavy cloud cover. But for a few wonderful moments, the fully occluded sun poked through. The crowd went wild. “It’s incredible,” said Martine Raussin, from Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, in central France. Hugs and cheers also abounded on the Canadian side of the falls, though the American side was considerably louder.

A group of people seated and looking up with eclipse glasses on.

Manhattan: The crowd at Sheep Meadow in Central Park whistled and screamed as the moon covered nearly 90 percent of the sun. Drummers played their instruments. Some people stood in awe in the bike and running paths, angering some cyclists and runners who felt no reason to change their exercise routines.

A woman looks at her phone which is held up at the sky.

Houlton, Maine: As the moon and the sun inched into perfect alignment in cloudless skies, turning day to night, the crowd quieted. Couples embraced. Small flocks of birds darted over the town square, and orange light glowed on the horizon. Time seemed to stop for three minutes. And then, too soon, sunlight flared. “I would pay a million dollars to see that again,” Sebastian Pelletier, 11, said.

An aerial image of eclipse watchers on a beach.