A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse began its race across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to see the spectacle through clear skies.Eclipse mania gripped all of Mexico, the US and Canada, as the moon swept in front of the sun, blotting out daylight.The moon started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse began over the South Pacific during the afternoon.

A chilly, midday darkness fell across North America on Monday as a total solar eclipse began its race across the continent, thrilling those lucky enough to see the spectacle through clear skies.Eclipse mania gripped all of Mexico, the US and Canada, as the moon swept in front of the sun, blotting out daylight.The moon started to cover up the sun as a partial eclipse began over the South Pacific during the afternoon.