Totality insanity: Eclipse frenzy hits North America

WASHINGTON - Eclipse mania is sweeping across North America as a breathtaking celestial event on Monday promises a rare blend of commerce, science -- and celebration.

Festivals, viewing parties, and even a mass wedding are planned along the eclipse "path of totality," where the Moon will completely obscure the Sun's light for up to a few minutes -- if rain clouds don't play spoilsport, which could be the case in the southern and central US.

"Eclipses have a special power," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said recently. "They move people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe."

This year's path of totality is 185 kilometres wide and home to nearly 32 million Americans, with an additional 150 million living less than 200 miles from the strip. Those further away can still enjoy a partial eclipse, or follow a webcast provided by US space agency NASA.

The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from a large part of North America won't come around until 2044.

Businesses are capitalising on the excitement with special events, while hotels and short-term rentals in prime viewing locations have been booked solid for months.

At the Stonehenge II park in Ingram, Texas, a replica of the prehistoric structure in England, eclipse watchers had gathered from across the world.

In Cleveland, where local officials expect some 200,000 visitors, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame plans a four-day "Solarfest" of live music. 

And in Russellville, Arkansas, 300 couples are set to exchange vows at "A Total Eclipse of the Heart" mass wedding ceremony, with the "thin circle of light around the moon resembling a huge wedding ring in the sky!" the event's website boasts.

Many schools along the path will be closed or letting students out early.

Several airlines have advertised flights scheduled to pass under the eclipse, while Delta has even planned two special trips along the path of totality.

The Perryman Group, a Texas-based research firm, estimates direct and indirect economic impacts of this year's eclipse could reach $6-billion.