The Sun and Moon both appear to "rise" in the east, and "set" in the west. But as you can see in our video of the Moon's shadow sweeping across the USA for the 2017 eclipse, you see that the shadow plainly traveled from west to east across the country! This is a very good question, because it shows how solar eclipses take us out of our normal experience....
This is a biggie. You CANNOT look at the Sun while ANY PART of its bright disk is still visible. The moon does cover quite a bit of it during the partial phases leading up to totality, but you HAVE to use special solar viewing glasses (also called "eclipse glasses") to look at it during the partial phases. You MUST use these glasses to look at the sun during this...
Here is the straight scoop on what the glasses actually do. You cannot look directly at the Sun, because even if it is covered up 99.9%, you will blind yourself due to the harmful UV rays it puts out. This is true whether or not an eclipse is happening. Normally, we don’t look at the Sun, because there’s no reason to, and because we’re conditioned not to – it’s too...
Eclipse chasers don't like to use the C-word, but they do have to consider the possibility, of course. If it's cloudy, you won't see what you will see if it's clear - simple as that. You can check the eclipse weather on our site, of course. For those in the path: If the sky is completely overcast, it will get VERY dark - pitch black, in fact, to the point...
Easy! Someplace in the path of totality, where the weather is clear on eclipse day! (How's that for committing to an answer?!) But seriously, beyond that general recommendation, eclipse2024.org can't tell you where you should watch the eclipse from - there are just too many variables in play: Where can you find lodging? What places might you want to visit in conjunction with the eclipse? [pun intended!] What is your...
It is an almost universal reaction after seeing a total eclipse: You will be asking yourself within about a half a second when the next one is. And the answer to that is that there isn't another one on land until 2026 (in Iceland and Spain). After that, the next "easy" one in North America doesn't happen until 2045! That is a long time to wait! Get to this one...
If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand. If you already understand, nothing I can say will matter. It's like having kids, or riding a Harley, or being in love. It just is - and you just have to believe. The author of this site has personally seen 13 total solar eclipses, and for the majority of them, he was traveling with at least one individual who had never before...
NO! NO! NO! These cheap "filters" are manufactured and marketed as being able to be inserted into the eyepiece. That means that by the time the Sun's dangerous rays get to the filter, they have been magnified by your telescope, and are being focused directly on that filter. The cheap glass cannot take all that thermal energy, and it WILL crack! If you are looking through the scope when...
Yes, you can certainly put them over regular eyeglasses, as I myself do! The reality is that these "eclipse glasses" are really solar filters, and are designed to be used for only a brief time, as you glance at the partial phases to check on the progress of the eclipse - and be able to actually participate in the excitement as the partial phase grows - toward totality! People will...
Why are they called "eclipse glasses"? Do you need them if you're in the path? What about if you're not in the path? (You WILL need them - get them now!) To answer these questions, we need to tell you some important things about total solar eclipses. FIRST, please go to the page that hosts the 2017 instructions for watching an eclipse, and read them - you have a few...