What is a solar eclipse?
During a solar eclipse the the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and blocks all or part of the Sun.
This is different from a lunar eclipse, when the Earth blocks most of the sunlight that normally reaches the Moon. In a solar eclipse, the Sun gets darker; in a lunar eclipse, the Moon gets darker. Visit our lunar eclipse page to learn more.
Watch this NASA video to learn more about the different roles of the Moon in lunar and solar eclipses.
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon lines up perfectly to fully block the Sun; in a partial solar eclipse, the Moon only blocks part of the Sun; and during an annular eclipse, alignment is perfect but the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely obscure the Sun.
More about solar eclipses: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses
Upcoming eclipses viewable in North America
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/
Two major solar eclipses are coming to North America!
Saturday, October 14, 2023, an annular ("ring of fire") eclipse will be experienced in he US from Oregon to Texas; all of North America will have at least a partial solar eclipse.
Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be seen in the US from Texas to Maine in the process; all of North America will have at least a partial solar eclipse.
October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse
- Where Can You See It?
You can see a partial eclipse, where the moon covers only a part of the sun, across much of North America. The path of totality will cross Oregon, California Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas. - When Can You See It?
Times for viewing the eclipse vary depending on your location. These interactive maps will show you times for anywhere in the world.- https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14
- National Eclipse map
https://nationaleclipse.com/maps_2023.html - Great American Eclipse maps
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/october-14-202 - NASA
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2023/
- How Can You See It?
You never want to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection. That could severely hurt your eyes. However, there are numerous safe ways to view an eclipse.- NASA eclipse viewing techniques and safety
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Eye safety
https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety - Safety handouts from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/downloads - Exploratorium series of videos on safe viewing and eclipse science
shadow using a colander
April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse
- Where Can You See It?
You can see a partial eclipse, where the moon covers only a part of the sun, anywhere in North America (see "Who can see it?"). To see a total eclipse, where the moon fully covers the sun for a short few minutes, you must be in the path of totality. In 2024 the path of totality is a relatively thin ribbon, around 70 miles wide, that will cross the U.S. from Southwest to Northeast.
- When Can You See It Safely??
Times for viewing the eclipse vary depending on your location. These interactive maps will show you times for anywhere in the world.- https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2024-april-8
- NASA GSFC map
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2024Apr08Tgoogle.html - NASA GSFC Animation
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEanimate/SEanimate2001/SE2024Apr08T.GIF - Great American Eclipse maps
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024 - National Eclipse map
https://nationaleclipse.com/maps.html - NASA
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/
- How Can You See It Safely?
You never want to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection except during totality. That could severely hurt your eyes. However, there are numerous safe ways to view an eclipse.- NASA eclipse viewing techniques and safety.
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Eye safety
https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety - Safety handouts from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/downloads - Exploratorium series of videos on safe viewing and eclipse science
Hands-on Activities During Your Event
- NISE Network Explore Science: Earth & Space 2017 toolkit
- Big Sun, Small Moon activity (included in Explore Science: Earth & Space 2017 toolkit)
- Includes Solar Eclipse poster and solar eclipse pinhole postcards (see video of how to use the pinhole projector)
- Solar Eclipse activity (included in Explore Science: Earth & Space 2017 toolkit)
- Includes solar eclipse poster and solar eclipse pinhole postcard
- Bear's Shadow activity (included in Explore Science: Earth & Space 2017 toolkit)
- Pinhole projectors in NSTA Solar Science Insert by Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi and How to make a pinhole projector NASA video
- More activities from NSTA Solar Science: Exploring Sunspots, Seasons, Eclipses, and More book by Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi
- More NASA activities from https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/activities
Finding STEM Experts
We encourage you to seek out local experts for your public events. Many astronomy enthusiasts plan to travel to the path of totality, but many will be staying closer to home, so please check out all of these different resources to find experts near you:
- Finding and Collaborating with STEM Experts: see the "Space and Earth Sciences" section of the Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings
- Finding astronomy volunteers - summary and link to recorded online workshop
- Solar System Ambassadors - NASA trained volunteers located throughout the US
- Night Sky Network of astronomy clubs
- AAS Astronomy Ambassadors
Safety
You never want to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection. That could severely hurt your eyes. However, there are numerous safe ways to view an eclipse.
An eclipse is a rare and striking phenomenon you won't want to miss, but you must carefully follow safety procedures. It is vital that you protect your eyes at all times. The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are NOT safe for looking at the Sun.
Safe Viewing Techniques
- NASA eclipse viewing techniques and safety.
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Eye safety
https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety - Safety handouts from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/downloads - Safety handouts from the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/downloads - Exploratorium series of videos on safe viewing and eclipse science
- Safety information from NASA
- Eclipse pinhole postcard
Affordable Eclipse Glasses
To date, only three manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers meet the standards for such products.
Advice from NASA & Museum Informal Education Alliance
Information about free solar viewers and considerations for purchasing glasses
- https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/content/solar-viewing-glasses (log-in required)
Sources for eclipse glasses
- Rainbow Symphony
- American Paper Optics
- Thousand Oaks Optical
- EclipseGlasses.com (educator discount)
Live Streaming of the Solar Eclipse
The Exploratorium will be live streaming the solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024 in multiple formats including on mobile devices, including:
- Exploratorium live stream: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse
- Exploratorium live stream solar eclipse app: https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/apps/total-solar-eclipse-app
Planning and Preparing for Your Solar Eclipse Event
- Planning for the 2023 and 2024 Solar eclipses
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
April 8-9, 2022 Solar Eclipse Planning Virtual Workshop
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force video recordings and links from their workshop planning for the 2023 and 20234 events
https://eclipse.aas.org/workshops/2021 - Community Event planning white paper from Dr. Kate Russo (2015)
https://eclipse.aas.org/sites/eclipse.aas.org/files/Russo-White-Paper-Community-Eclipse-Planning.pdf
- American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force
- NISE Network planning resources from the 2017 total solar eclipse
- Pages 13-16 of Explore Science: Earth & Space 2017 Event Planning and Promotion Guide
- NISE Net Online Workshop: Tips for Planning Your August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse Event (Recorded January 27, 2017)
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NISE Net Online Workshop: Streaming the Eclipse: How to Utilize Online Live Streams at Your Eclipse Event (Recorded June 20, 2017)
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NISE Net Online Workshop: Join the Eclipse Party! What are You Doing to Celebrate the August 21st, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse? (Recorded Tuesday, June 27, 2017)
- NISE Net PowerPoint presentation: Preparing for a Partial Eclipse: An Event to Remember slides (with presenter notes)
- NASA event planning resources from the 2017 total solar eclipse
- Maps and visualizations from the 2017 total solar eclipse
- Enter your Zip code to find your peak viewing time: Using NASA data, Vox created a zip code tool to find out what you’ll see, and the time you’ll see it, in your zip code.
- NASA solar eclipse maps
- NASA events map - we encourage NISE Network partners to please submit your event to be featured on NASA's general event eclipse map!
- NASA Solar Eclipse 2017 visualizations
- NASA Eyes solar eclipse 3D simulation
- More event planning resources from the 2017 total solar eclipse
- Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) Eclipse Project 2017 resources AWBeclipse2017.org
- Astronomical Society of the Pacific eclipse resources
- NSTA Solar Science Insert
- Video from University of Colorado Fiske Planetarium Preparing for the Great American Eclipse August 21,2017 (suitable for public audiences)
- 2017 Total Eclipse Resources on NASA Wavelength
- STAR_Net participating libraries and STAR_Net Eclipse Guide
Citizen Science Projects
- information below is archived from the 2017 total solar eclipse
The 2017 solar eclipse presents many opportunities for amateur astronomers and lifelong learners to get in on the fun of doing science. This includes research projects about the sun, the moon, other sun-planet-moon systems, and even eclipses in other stellar systems.
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What happens to your pets and other animals during the solar eclipse?
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Naturalist - Life Responds https://www.calacademy.org/citizen-science/solar-eclipse-2017
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How does the solar eclipse affect the atmosphere on Earth? Participate in a nation-wide science experiment by collecting cloud and temperature data
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GLOBE Observer Video: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12653
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GLOBE Observer Program: https://www.globe.gov/web/eclipse/overview
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GLOBE Observer Observer: https://observer.globe.gov/science-connections/eclipse2017
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- Many more citizen science projects (2017)
In addition to the examples highlighted above, a complete list is available here:
Multimedia - Animations and Visualizations
- Lunar eclipse animations from Rice University (log-in to NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance required)
https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/content/new-annular-eclipse-and-artemis-animations-released - NASA Solar Eclipse 2017 visualizations
- NASA Eyes solar eclipse 2017 3D simulation