On December 14, 2020, the Exploratorium continues its 20-year tradition of bringing live images of eclipses to you—we’re traveling to Villarrica, Chile, in the mountains of Patagonia, to broadcast a total solar eclipse visible overhead from parts of South America. Experience the wonder wherever you are: enjoy our live broadcast, available in both English and Spanish on our free iOS and Android apps and this website, or come to the museum in San Francisco to enjoy the big-screen broadcasts in person.
Check out our Live Stream Help page to find out how to share or embed our live streams into your website or blog.
Telescope and live coverage feeds will also be available via satellite in North and South America. Satellite downlink details are available here.
For eclipse videos and much more, explore our video collection.
Our 2017 eclipse livestream video coverage and Total Solar Eclipse mobile app were awarded both the Webby Award and People's Voice Award for Best Film & Video - Events and Live Streams and Best Mobile Sites & Apps - Events categories in the 22nd Annual Webby Awards!
To view the 2020 total solar eclipse, you’ll have to be somewhere within the light brown stripe stretching across the countries of Chile and Argentina on this map. This “path of totality,” where the darkest part of the moon’s shadow hits the Earth, is only 70 miles wide. Viewers outside that band will see a partial eclipse.
How do we know when an eclipse is going to happen? This video explores how eclipses can be predicted and investigates a repeating series of eclipses known as a Saros cycle.
Join Exploratorium astronomer Isabel Hawkins and Exploratorium educator Liliana Blanco as they explain the celestial mechanics of a total solar eclipse. Through demonstrations, they show how the moon, sun, and Earth align to create the cosmic coincidence that we see as a total solar eclipse. En Español
Únete a la astrónoma del Exploratorium Isabel Hawkins quien junto a la educadora del Exploratorium Liliana Blanco explican los movimientos de los astros durante un eclipse total de sol. A través de demostraciones, ellas muestran cómo la luna, el sol y la Tierra se alinean para crear la coincidencia cósmica que llamamos un eclipse total de sol.
Total solar eclipses happen when the moon crosses between the sun and Earth, but Earth doesn't experience a total solar eclipse every month. Exploratorium Senior Scientist Paul Doherty explains why not.
It's never safe to look directly at the sun . . . but why not, exactly? Dr. Paul Doherty demonstrates what happens when the lenses in your eyes focus light from the sun on your retinas.
Check out this D.I.Y. video on how to build your own sun viewer using items that you may have lying around your house.
by Liz Ball • July 13, 2017
With the help of the world-famous Kronos Quartet, Exploratorium composer Wayne Grim will turn the total solar eclipse on August 21 into a musical performance like no other. Find out how they'll pull it off.
by Eileen Campbell • July 8, 2017
Watch the moon pass through its phases as we count down to the total solar eclipse. Tonight: a full moon.
by Eileen Campbell • August 7, 2017
Watch the moon pass through its phases as we count down to the total solar eclipse. Tonight: a full moon.
by Exploratorium Staff • August 30, 2016
On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the continental United States, from Oregon to South Carolina. Here are a few things you can start doing now to maximize your Eclipse 2017 experience. (En español.)
by Eileen Campbell • July 10, 2017
Para las personas que estarán en la franja de totalidad durante el eclipse, les brindamos algunas indicaciones para que puedan aprovechar al máximo su experiencia.
A total solar eclipse is a cosmic coincidence with stunning visual effects for viewers on Earth. What causes this extraordinary phenomenon?
As the moon passes in front of the Sun, the eclipse goes through stages that provide an evolving spectacle, two plus hours of steadily changing views. Click on the images to see what you can see. (En español.)
SPONSOR: This live stream was made possible through generous grants from NASA. This material is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX16AB96A issued through the Science Education Mission Directorate. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS: We are proud to work with the following organizations to bring you this live stream: NASA and the Parker Solar Probe mission, Meade Instruments/Coronado, and Magnetic Image Video. In addition, we are grateful for the support of the NSF facility at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.
