On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Totality, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun from the vantage point of Earth, will occur along a path approximately 115 miles wide that runs northeast from the west coast of Mexico through Texas and the central US to southern Canada, New England, and the Maritime Provinces. A partial eclipse will be visible from all 48 contiguous US states plus Hawaiʻi, weather permitting.

NASA and timeanddate can help you plan your viewing and estimate how long totality will last at your location (never long enough!). The American Astronomical Society offers guidelines for viewing safety—never look directly at the Sun without eye protection; the damage to vision is irreversible. You may remove eye projection during totality—not a second before. And be careful to protect your eyes before the end of totality. Some observers use timers to make sure they won’t be caught off guard by the end of the spectacle. Inexpensive eclipse-viewing glasses can be ordered online; follow the AAS guidelines to ensure you’re purchasing a quality product. The AAS has also shared instructions for indirect viewing of the event through pinhole projectors and colanders (really).

We’re here to tell you everything else you need to know about solar eclipses and the history of human reactions to them. Who first accurately predicted an eclipse? What do scientists learn when the Moon comes between Earth and Sun? What exactly are we talking about when we discuss the Sun’s shadow? The stories below answer these questions and more. Read on to prepare for the upcoming eclipse—and don’t forget the eye protection!

Science and the Eclipsed Sun

An Eclipse is a Scientific Bonanza

James MacDonald

August 20, 2017

On August 21, 2017, North America’s first total solar eclipse in a while will cross the center of the United States from East to West.

Anaxagoras and the Eclipse: The First to Get It Right

Matthew Wills

February 17, 2024

Scholars sometimes credit Thales or Empedocles of Acragas with the first correct theory of solar eclipses, but it was Anaxagoras who had the science right.

Bridging The Gap of War: Einstein’s Eclipse

Matthew Wills

February 26, 2024

Astronomer Arthur S. Eddington argued that astronomy should be above politics, even when politics leads to world war.

How Astronomers Write History

Livia Gershon

March 10, 2024

Scientists’ approach to dating past eclipses changed when they stopped treating classical texts as authoritative records.

Solar Eclipse Tourism: The Victorians Were the Pioneers

Matthew Wills

August 19, 2017

People have been planning for this month's total solar eclipse for years. They aren't the first to do so: the Victorians pioneered eclipse tourism.

Dragon Swallows the Sun: Predicting Eclipses in China

Matthew Wills

March 13, 2024

China had a long history of astronomy before the arrival of Europeans, but the politics of absolute rule led to the eventual embrace of Western methods.

Do We Actually See Shadows?

Roy Sorensen

December 1, 2021

In a blackout, you do not hear or taste the darkness; you see it. It looks a certain way. On the philosophy of shadows.

Why We Need to Start Listening to Insects

Daniel A. Gross

November 28, 2017

The study of wingbeat has come an incredibly long way and could lead to breakthroughs crucial for human populations facing insect-borne disease and pests.

Astonishing Moments in the History Astronomy

The Long History of Comet Phobia

Jess Romeo

September 3, 2020

Even the invention of the telescope couldn't convince all people to put aside superstitions about comets.

Trouvelot’s Total Lunar Eclipse

S. N. Johnson-Roehr

May 14, 2022

Immigrant artist Étienne Léopold Trouvelot used his skills to accurately represent the details—and the sublimity—of our solar system.

America’s First Woman Astronomer

Matthew Wills

August 1, 2018

Maria Mitchell became famous when she discovered a comet in 1847. She didn't stop there, fighting for education and equality for women in the sciences.

Do Sunspots Explain Global Recession, War, or Famine?

Alex Langstaff

November 13, 2020

Maybe it's something about the number eleven?

The Women Who Made Male Astronomers’ Ambitions Possible

Erin Blakemore

November 26, 2018

In the late 19th century, Elizabeth Campbell helped her astronomer husband run the Lick Observatory and lead scientific eclipse-viewing expeditions.

Caroline Herschel Claims Her Comet

S. N. Johnson-Roehr

August 27, 2022

Couching her petition in a mix of modesty and expertise, Herschel became the first woman to have a scientific paper read to the Royal Society of London.

The Threat of Solar Flares

James MacDonald

December 15, 2015

Solar flares are highly unpredictable and difficult to anticipate. But their threat is very real.

How to See the Invisible Universe

Sidney Perkowitz

April 8, 2020

Telescopes that detect long-wavelength signals offer clues about the Big Bang, the centers of black holes, and the origins of life.

Ole Rømer and the Speed of Light

Margaret Smith

October 7, 2014

In 1676, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer predicted that an eclipse of one of Jupiter’s moons would occur ten minutes later than expected. How did he know?

Eight Women Astronomers You Should Know

Sidney Perkowitz

January 5, 2022

A guided tour of selected luminaries of astronomy, from Ancient Greece to today.

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