Two things were inescapable this summer: the Latin single “Despacito,” and the looming eclipse. The first total solar eclipse in the continental United States since 1979, it was also a uniquely American event, with no other countries getting a peek at totality, and at least a partial eclipse visible in all 50 states. As the moon’s shadow crisscrossed the country on Aug. 21, about 154 million American adults saw the eclipse directly, with another 60 million watching electronically — 88 percent of the adult population. It was the most-observed and most-photographed eclipse in history.
In a time of so much bitter division, it’s remarkable that an astronomical event just a few minutes long had the power to bring us together, gazing in joy and wonder at the universe.
