President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, wear, protective glasses to view the solar eclipse. Photo / AP
By James Law
For about an hour, the bright lights of New York's Times Square were upstaged. No, upstaged isn't the right verb. Eclipsed.
The first total solar eclipse to sweep the US coast to coast in nearly a century was enough to stop New Yorkers in their tracks Monday afternoon.
Non-stop workers spilled out of their high-rise offices and onto streets, balconies and rooftops to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial event.
Busy Times Square was even more packed than usual, as locals and visitors jostled for the best vantage point.
Due to their scarcity, it was encouraging to see New Yorkers gladly sharing their glasses around with strangers.
Some resorted to primitive but functional camera obscuras - pinhole viewers crafted from cardboard boxes; one punter even brought his welding mask from home.
New Zealand tourist face was impressed by the spectacle.
"It's quite surreal because it looks like the moon. And it's pretty cool to see how many people are here to see it," she told news.com.au.
Barry Robinson and David Stafford were smart enough to buy glasses in their native Canada before they made their trip to the Big Apple.
"It's amazing. It's so much fun," Mr Stafford said as he gazed up to the heavens.
"Back in the olden times, this used to scare people, but times have changed," Mr Robison added. "Now they can pinpoint the exact moment it goes dark."
Katherine Cartagena was pleased because her company bought every employee their own pair of eclipse glasses.
"It's really exciting to see for the first time. It's magical," she told news.com.au.
"There's a lot of excitement within New York City and the whole of the United States."
Aviation enthusiast Tony Gonzales, who works in finance in Midtown Manhattan, decided to spend his lunch break in Times Square to check out the eclipse.
"It's cool. I might not see it ever again at my age because it's something we won't see again for another 30 years," he told news.com.au.
Even US President Donald Trump - flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron - took a moment to check out the eclipse from the White House.
Although the three wore the protective glasses for the photo op, the Commander in Chief couldn't resist taking a peek at the sun without them - a practice that can lead to macular degeneration and blindness.
Meanwhile, Kiwi's have taken to social media to share their disappointment about missing out on the eclipse.
Trump also ordered the release of 2000lb bombs for Israel.