GREENFIELD, Ind. (Gray News/AP) – A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse raced across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to behold the spectacle through clear skies.
Streetlights blinked on and the planets came into view as the moon shrouded the sun for a few minutes across the land.
Dogs howled, frogs croaked and some people wept, all part of the eclipse mania gripping Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
Almost everyone in North America could see at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is often referred to as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but on Monday afternoon, WNDU said those race fans became space fans.
The path of totality crossed through Indiana for the first time since 1869, so thousands gathered at the speedway to behold the spectacle for themselves.
But some visitors saw more than just a total solar eclipse. A UFO was spotted driving on I-465, the highway that circles just outside Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Department of Transportation posted a photo of the “vehicle” on Facebook saying, “No this isn’t Photoshopped…this is I-465.”
Several people commented on the post saying they had seen the UFO car driving around before. Many believe the owner used to have a car repair shop in the area as well.
Regardless, it was a fun sight to see after the breathtaking experience of witnessing the moment of totality of the solar eclipse.
The out-of-sync darkness lasted up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. That’s almost twice as long as it was during the U.S. coast-to-coast eclipse seven years ago because the moon was closer to Earth.
It took just 1 hour, 40 minutes for the moon’s shadow to race more than 4,000 miles across the continent.
The path of totality — approximately 115 miles wide — encompassed several major cities this time, including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Montreal.
An estimated 44 million people live within the track, with a couple hundred million more within 200 miles.
Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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