People in the United States will have an amazing opportunity to view two very different solar eclipses within six months of each other. First up is an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023, followed by the main event: a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
The Exploratorium has been collaborating with NASA for over 20 years to broadcast stunning imagery of eclipses, and we will continue this partnership to stream these events live as they happen. Stay tuned for more information and updates!
People viewing either eclipse from outside the path of totality or annularity will see a partial eclipse. The annular eclipse, often called a “ring of fire” eclipse, occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the Sun but appears too small to fully cover it. During a total solar eclipse, the moon completely blocks the Sun, revealing the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. In 2024, totality will last for up to 4½ minutes!
On this day, everyone in the U.S. will experience 2½ hours of partial eclipse. But to witness the incredible Ring of Fire, you will need to be within the 125-mile path of annularity. The path begins over the Pacific Ocean and will make landfall in Oregon. It then moves southwest across the country to Texas before moving out to the Gulf of Mexico. The Sun will appear in the sky as a bright ring (“annularity”) for four to five minutes (remember: you must wear safety glasses at all times!). While not as dramatic as a total eclipse, it is still an impressive and rare experience.
Millions of people witnessed the two-minute total eclipse in 2017 from the narrow 70-mile-wide path of totality. The next total eclipse, in 2024, promises to be even better, with a path that is 115 miles wide and with totality lasting twice as long! The path sweeps up from Mexico, through Texas, all the way to Maine. The Exploratorium will be waiting in Texas to showcase the close-up telescope views on this website, NASA-TV, and our free Eclipse app for Android and iOS.
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!
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.
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.
It's NEVER safe to look directly at the sun, but you can still see what's going on up there—you can cast images of the sun using only a piece of paper and your own hands.
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.
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.)
PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS
We are proud to work with the following organizations to bring you this livestream: NASA and the Parker Solar Probe mission, Meade Instruments/Coronado, and Magnetic Image Video.
The material contained in this document is based upon work supported by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grant or cooperative agreement. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.
