]The moon blacked out the sun today as the first total solar eclipse in a century marched from the US Pacific Northwest to the Atlantic Coast, while millions of Americans looked skyward in wonder through protective glasses, telescopes and cameras.

After weeks of anticipation, onlookers experienced an astronomical phenomenon - two minutes in which the moon moved directly in front of the sun to create near darkness and cause a precipitous drop in temperature. The eclipse drew whoops and cheers from onlookers in Depoe Bay, Oregon, near where "totality" - the shadow created by the sun's disappearance - started.

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The 'diamond ring' that appears as the totality ends. Photo: Reuters

"It just kind of tickled you all over - it was wonderful - and I wish I could do it again," said Stormy Shreves, 57, a fish gutter who lives in Depoe Bay. "But I won't see something like that ever again, so I'm really glad I took the day off work so I could experience it."

The last time such a spectacle unfolded from one US coast to the other was in 1918. The last total eclipse seen anywhere in the United States took place in 1979.

The rare cosmic event was expected to draw one of the largest audiences in human history, including those watching through broadcast and social media.

The Trumps watched from the White House. Photo: Reuters