Americans witnessed their first solar eclipse in 99 years on Monday and everyone who somehow missed it would have to make do with the social media records of the experience or wait till April 2024.

The “Great American Eclipse”, was visible across the United States passing from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts. Millions of Americans loaded themselves with protective glasses, wondered at the first total solar eclipse to happen from coast to coast in the US. Day turned to night for two minutes during the eclipse, visible in a 70-mile-wide (113-km-wide), 2,500-mile-long (4,000-km-long) zone in the US, drawing one of the largest audiences in human history.

US President, Donald Trump, First Lady, Melania alongside his daughter Ivanka watched from the Whitehouse and rock star, Bruce Springsteen were among the prominent people in US who had tweeted advice that watchers should wear their glasses when looking at the spectacle.

The last time a total solar eclipse was visible across the entire United States was June 8, 1918. The last total eclipse seen anywhere in the United States was in 1979. Reports say an annular solar eclipse where the Moon appears smaller in the Sun will occur in October 2023 (9 states) and June 2048 (9 states).

Here are some of the highlights from yesterday’s eclipse:

1. It concluded its path just before 3 p.m. in South Carolina, where clouds obscured the moment of totality.
2. A total solar eclipse made contact in Oregon just after 1:15 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, darkening skies as the moon obscured the sun and cast a long shadow across Earth.
3. In Washington, where the sun was about 80 percent obscured, President Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, took part in the partial eclipse at the White House.

The most important highlight?

4. President Donald Trump looked at the sun during the eclipse without wearing protective eyeglasses. Trump defied the general rule that says “Do not look at the sun during an eclipse”. Is he going to go blind?