Credit: Michelle Gabel |Central Current

People in Central New York and across much of New York State were able to experience Monday a total solar eclipse, rarely seen in the United States.

At one destination, Sodus Point Lighthouse on the shores of Lake Ontario in Sodus Point, NY,  hundreds of people gathered to see the spectacle, although clouds became thicker as totality approached, making the weather cold and gray and viewing more difficult.

The total solar eclipse covered parts of North America, from Mexico to Canada, and crossed parts of the U.S. The last time a total solar eclipse occurred in the United States was in 2017 and the next one won’t occur here until 2044.

A total eclipse happens when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, blocking the sun.

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Michelle Gabel is a Syracuse-based independent photojournalist who captures the human experience through documentary photography and portraiture. Her long-form photography projects tell complex, contemporary...