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On August 21, 2017, beginning at 10:15 a.m. PDT, a total solar eclipse swept across the United States. The glorious sight of the fully eclipsed Sun was visible along a 70-mile-wide path arching from Oregon to South Carolina. Millions of people traveled to this “path of totality” to watch as the moon entirely covered the face of the Sun.
People not in the path experienced a partial eclipse. For those who couldn't make it to the path, the Exploratorium, along with our NASA partners, filmed the event from two different locations and shared it with the world by live stream. You can watch it on this website and on our free Android and iOS apps.
Check out our Live Stream Help page to find out how to share or embed our live streams into your website or blog.
Ver partes de este sitio web en Español.
Telescope and live coverage feeds are also available via U.S. domestic satellite.
For eclipse videos and much more, explore our video collection.
Read the We Are Eclipse Chasers, Ask Us Anything Q&A from our Reddit IAMA on August 4, 2017.
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 2017 total solar eclipse, you’ll have to be somewhere within the light brown stripe stretching across the United States on this map. This “path of totality,” where the darkest part of the moon’s shadow hits the Earth, is only 70 miles wide. North American viewers outside that band will see a partial eclipse.
The eclipse will hit land on the coast of Oregon at 10:15 a.m. PDT. It will sweep across the country, touching Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina before ending its land passage and heading out to sea just after 4:00 p.m. EDT.
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.
Build your own sun viewer using items that you may have lying around your house. All you need is a pair of binoculars, a tripod, and a large piece of white paper or fabric to project the solar image onto. This is the method used by Galileo himself!
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. Our Spanish-language livestream has been graciously provided by the Moore Foundation.
