Where and when to watch the 2024 solar eclipse: These are the cities and states where rare phenomena will be visible

The highly anticipated solar eclipse took place across parts of 15 US states on Monday, with it first appearing along Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:09am PT.

Roughly 34 million people are expected to be on the path of totality - where the eclipse will be fully visible - that extended through Texas and up into New England as the day progresses.

The exact time for the event varied depending on the state and time zone. 

The Lone Star State was the first to see the moon completely block the face of the sun at around 1:32pm CT, which lasted for approximately three minutes and 15 seconds.

Roughly 34 million people are expected to be on the path of totality - where the eclipse will be fully visible - that will then extend through Texas , and up into New England as the day progresses

The celestial event ended its journey in Main around 3:32pm ET

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective.

While Texas was the first state to see the celestial event, Oklahoma was next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after.

Illinois was next in line along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT and Paducah, Kentucky about one minute later.

And Evansville, Indiana at 2:06pm CT and then Ohio witnessed it at around 3:13pm ET.

State officials estimated that up to 556,000 people will be visiting the Buckeye state.

Erie, Pennsylvania was next, with the solar eclipse set for 3:16pm ET, followed by Buffalo, New York at around 3:18pm ET.

The path continued up north, reaching Burlington, Vermont  at 3:26pm ET, Lancaster, New Hampshire at 3:27pm ET and Caribou, Maine at 3:32pm ET. 

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon and the sun line up perfectly and the moon is close enough to us to cover the whole of the sun, from our perspective. While Texas will be the first state to see the celestial event, Oklahoma is next at around 1:45pm CT, followed by Arkansas at 1:51pm ET and Missouri about five minutes after

Tourists are anticipating the solar eclipse as far north as Niagara Falls State Park in New York - and many have already stepped outside to secure the best viewing spot

The path then entered Canada in Ontario and journeys through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. Newfoundland Time. 

Some major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality. 

Some of these include: Mazatlan and Torreon in Mexico; San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth and Dallas in Texas; Little Rock in Arkansas; St. Louis in Missouri; Louisville in Kentucky; Indianapolis in Indiana; Dayton, Columbus, Toledo and Cleveland in Ohio; Detroit in Michigan; Erie in Pennsylvania; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York; and Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal in Canada. 

In places along the path of totality, people were able to view the sun's corona - the star's outer atmosphere - that typically is not visible because of solar brightness. 

Illinois (pictured) is along the path of totality, with Carbondale experiencing the solar eclipse at around 1:59pm CT

The eclipse appeared in Arkansas at 1:51pm. Visitors are adding pins to a map to show where they are visiting from

People observing from outside the path of totality will see a partial eclipse in which the moon obscures most of the sun's face but not all of it.

Of course, a cloudy day could spoil the view. 

After this one, the next total solar eclipse viewable from the contiguous United States will not occur until 2044.

A total solar eclipse unfolds in several distinct stages, with the first starting as a partial eclipse phase as the moon begins to pass between Earth and the sun, partially blocking it and leaving the sun looking like it has a crescent shape.

In the subsequent Baily's Beads phase, points of light from the sun shine around the moon's edges because of the irregular lunar topography, producing small beads of light.

In the diamond ring phase, a single bright spot appears along the lunar edge even as the sun's atmosphere leaves a ring of light around the moon. The effect resembles the appearance of a diamond ring. This phenomenon precedes totality.

After totality, the other phases repeat as the moon keeps moving along its path until the eclipse ends.