All Eyes on the Sky as Millions Come Together and Marvel At Solar Eclipse

Millions of Americans greeted the solar eclipse Monday as it passed over the country from Texas to Maine. 

Eagle Pass, Texas was the first American city to witness the rare event as it began its journey across the country. 

More than 30 million Americans were in the path of the eclipse as it cut through 15 states and major cities including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Niagara Falls.

In Cleveland, CBN's David Brody recorded the moments when the moon passed in front of the sun.

"We're just in total darkness here, full totality and there's the total eclipse and you can barely see me because we're in the middle actually of full totality," Brody reported.

CBN correspondent Paul Petitte was on the ground in Ozark, Arkansas. 

"Arkansas was the second state the eclipse passed over going through Texas and going over both Dallas, Austin, and Fort Worth," he reported.

Officials estimate more than half a million out-of-state visitors flocked to Arkansas for the eclipse.  

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Many schools were closed and plenty of people were outside to witness this once-in-a-lifetime celestial spectacle.

"It's not something you get to see every day and it was actually quite incredible like my husband said," said Oklahoma resident Nikki Rice. "You know, when you watch it on the news you really don't get a full perspective of it but the whole atmosphere here changed," she said.

"You can see the corona, and it looks like a circle with a ring, just like flashing lights out of it and I thought that was really cool," said Claudia James of Colorado.

"God is in control and He controlled the eclipse today and He controls me. And He loves all of us and I am glad I got to enjoy it with all the people here," remarked Arkansas resident Theresa White.  

In the nation's capital, excited viewers flocked to the national mall in their special glasses to see a partial eclipse cover about 87% of the sun – quickly turning a bright day to darkness in a matter of minutes.

And at the Virginia Beach oceanfront it was all eyes on the sky.

"I see the moon covering about a quarter of the sun, it's pretty cool, said Cally. "Honestly it does make me think how small we are and how crazy it is that stuff like this does happen," she said.

For Lisa and Roberto, they turned the event into a dating opportunity.

"Yeah, we're eclipsing," Roberto said. "I told Lisa, when the eclipse comes, me and you are going to eclipse at the same time because this is beautiful [the eclipse] and look at her, this [she] is beautiful," he said.

The next big eclipse for the continental U.S. is not until 2045. It will stretch from northern California to Cape Canaveral, Florida.