Total solar eclipses happen about every one to three years, but Monday's event was special. It was the first time since 1918 that the path of totality, where day briefly turns to night, cut diagonally across the entire US.
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Dan Blanchette and his son, Sam, 6, watching the final phases of a total solar eclipse in Salem, Oregon.
Don Ryan/AP
We rounded up the best photos of people watching the eclipse from Portland, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. We will continue to update this post throughout the day.
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Eclipse-watchers came early to a beach in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. It has been 99 years since a total solar eclipse crossed the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
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The city hosted a beach party: "Get Eclipsed on IOP."
Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
Mic Smith/AP
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In Casper, Wyoming, people came prepared with telescopes for a better look.
South Mike Sedar Park, Casper, Wyoming.
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Bentley Ewell, 7, wore a space suit on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown in South Carolina.
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
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A pair of lovebirds embraced at the Carhenge monument in Alliance, Nebraska.
Alliance, Nebraska.
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People traveled near and far to be in the path of totality in Idaho.
Menan Butte, Menan, Idaho.
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The Bald Knob Cross of Peace drew a crowd of over 700 people in Alto Pass, Illinois.
Alto Pass, Illinois.
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Some preferred to take in the eclipse from a more private area, like the enthusiasts watching from atop Carroll Rim Trail at Painted Hills, near Mitchell, Oregon.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Kimberley, Oregon.
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The Griffith Observatory was the place to be for eclipse-watching in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, California.
Richard Vogel/AP
People could snap a selfie with the Hollywood sign while they were there.
Los Angeles, California.
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People waited in line long before the gates opened at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The region experienced the longest duration of totality in the US: approximately two minutes and 40 seconds.
Carbondale, Illinois.
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The stadium was packed inside.
Carbondale, Illinois.
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New Yorkers came out in full force to sneak a peak of the eclipse.
Brooklyn, New York, New York.
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Here was the view from above Manhattan's Flatiron District.
New York, New York.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
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Some people made signs to show their enthusiasm.
New York, New York.
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The observation deck of The Empire State Building was perhaps more crowded than usual.
New York, New York.
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San Franciscans climbed the Bernal Heights Hill to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.
San Francisco, California.
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While it was cloudy, they were treated to a good view while wearing eclipse glasses.
San Francisco, California.
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A partial eclipse in Washington, DC, didn't stop droves of people from coming out.
National Mall, Washington, DC.
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Residents of Forth Worth, Texas, saw about 75% of the sun blocked by the moon.
Fort Worth, Texas.
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The Fabiano family of South Carolina celebrated the eclipse with a beach day.
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
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This group of friends retreated to the volcanic beds of Menan Butte in Menan, Idaho.
Menan Butte, Menan, Idaho.
Natalie Behring/Getty
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There's no shame in taking a time-out for a rare astronomical event.
Columbia, South Carolina.
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People from coast to coast got creative with their protective eyewear. A woman at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, wore a welder's helmet.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Chris Wattie/Reuters
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Kudos to the Campano sisters from Maryland for making solar viewers out of cereal boxes.
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Randall Hill/Reuters
We're not sure the paper plate adds anything but character to these eclipse glasses.
Menan Butte, Menan, Idaho.
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Jane Watts from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, lent a pair of protective eyewear to her cat.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
John Sommers II/Reuters
One of the largest and remote eclipse watch parties took place in Big Summit Prairie, Oregon, where about 30,000 eclipse-chasers arrived days ahead of the main event.
The Oregon Eclipse Festival took on a Burning Man flavor with its art installations, workshops, and seven concert stages featuring over 400 musical acts.
Americans have to wait only seven years until the next total solar eclipse is visible in the United States — and this guy's T-shirt becomes relevant again.
Madras, Oregon.
Jason Redmond/Reuters
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