Moon's shadow races across North America

PORTLAND, Oregon - stars came out in the middle of the day, zoo animals ran in agitated circles, crickets chirped, birds fell silent and a chilly darkness settled upon the land Monday as the United States witnessed its first full-blown, coast-to-coast solar eclipse since World War I.

Millions of people gazed in wonder at the cosmic spectacle, with the best seats along the path of totality that raced 4,200 kilometers across the continent from Oregon to South Carolina.

"It was a very primal experience," Julie Vigeland, of Portland, Oregon, said after she was moved to tears by the sight of the sun reduced to a silvery ring of light in Salem. It took 90 minutes for the shadow of the moon to travel across the country. Along that path, the moon blotted out the midday sun for about two minutes at any one place and people gathered in stadiums, parks and backyards to watch.