Did you see the last solar eclipse in the U.S. for the next 20 years? If not, no worry. FOX Weather caught every breathtaking moment from border to border.
“This was the quickest four minutes of my life,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan after he watched the incredible sight from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
He was joined by NOAA, NASA, and school kids whose teachers brought them to the stadium for an unconventional class.
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“I didn’t think I was going to cry. It’s amazing to see,” Morgan said, filled with emotion as the eclipse approached totality. “I am overwhelmed.”
And he was not alone. Carrie Black of the National Science Foundation joined him on the field.
“I have studied the Sun for 15 years. This is unbelievable,” she said. “I’m just very overwhelmed. Very open. It’s just a full body experience. I feel it everywhere, just feel it everywhere.”
The experience also moved FOX Weather storm tracker Mark Sudduth, who was watching the eclipse with his family in Houlton, Maine.
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“Incredible. Oh, look at that!” Sudduth said while struggling with emotions. “This is absolutely incredible here. It reduced me to tears. I can’t explain it. It’s like watching a child being born.”
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He said it became chilly and breezy as he watched what he called a 360 degree sunset.
“The best three minutes and 20 seconds I think I’ve had in a long time,” Sudduth said. “This is just incredible. And we’re getting ready to get the, the diamond ring effect. Those are solar prominences like the sun’s energy coming off. You can actually see it! Wow!”
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And just as quickly, he was back in the sunlight.
FOX Weather Meteorologist Kendall Smith was also emotional while witnessing the awe-inspiring sight from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where 40,000 were expected to gather to watch the show.
“I’m getting choked up, lost for words, trying to just take in the last few moments of how incredible this really is right now,” Smith said while experiencing totality in Indianapolis. “So bright, so beautiful. I am trying to just really take in this moment right now and getting so emotional at this time. Just how vibrant the corona is and just to see how far it extends. I can see Venus as well, seeing the planets, incredibly bright.”
Even usually-stoic FOX Weather Meteorologist Robert Ray turned into a kid in a candy store looking through a telescope at the disappearing sun.
“Look at the flares! Can you see that? We got it. My goodness. Look at the flares coming off,” he exclaimed on camera. “I mean, I just can’t believe what I’m seeing. It is atmospheric bliss and, sweet mother, this is total eclipse.”
The eclipse in Cleveland was just as spectacular. Smith tried to get FOX Weather Meteorologist Max Gorden ready for the emotions when totality reached the shores of Lake Erie.
“Max, are you ready for this? Steven (Morgan) cried, I cried, some other folks cried,” said Smith. “I’m at a loss for words. There’s no other way to describe this.”
Moments later, it was Cleveland’s turn to plunge into darkness for the show.
“A 360 (degree) sunset all around us right now as people point their phones stare up into the sky,” Gorden said. “This is an incredible experience. This is simply magical. You know, the words really don’t do it justice.”
Gorden said he was amazed at how everyone was sharing the experience together.
“It’s rare that you experience moments like this. Just with everyone sort of just taking in the moment together,” he said. “It’s such a rare experience to have. And just me personally, I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life.”
The next total solar eclipse across the Continental U.S. will be in 2044.