Throughout time, eclipses have inspired societies to understand the cosmos and its events.
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Eclipses have inspired myths, predictions and scientific discoveries. The total solar eclipse occurring on April 8 provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with science and the cosmos.
Solar eclipses happen because of a few factors, including the Moon’s size and distance from the Sun.
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Many people will see a dazzling eclipse this April, but these events are possible only because of the sizes and precise distances between Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
Solar eclipses don’t come around often, but make sure to view these rare events with eclipse glasses to protect your vision.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Now’s the time to get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses in preparation for April’s display of celestial wonder.
A photograph of the 2017 total solar eclipse, taken at the Oregon State Fair Grounds, Salem, Ore.
(Dominic Hart/NASA)
Mentions of total solar eclipses in ancient history help researchers pinpoint precise dates of notable events.
Solar panels in Brazil.
AP Photo/Bruna Prado
When the Moon blocks the Sun during an eclipse, utility suppliers have to pull power from the grid to make up for gaps in solar energy.
On April 8, 2024, much of the eastern United States will fall in the path of a total solar eclipse, like the one pictured.
Diane Miller/The Image Bank via Getty images
With a solar eclipse and several meteor showers coming up, an astronomy professor shares travel tips for viewing astronomical phenomena.
EPA/Shahzaib Akber
Don’t look up. A solar eclipse may be an incredible spectacle – but you must take care of your eyes.
Jim Strasma
Witnessing a total solar eclipse can be an unforgettable experience – and apparently, quite addictive.
Watching a solar eclipse is always fascinating. During the phase when the moon completely obstructs the sun, daylight gives way to a deep twilight sky.
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Some parts of North America will witness a total solar eclipse in April 2024. This may seem far away, but you should think about preparing for this rare and fascinating phenomenon.
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People across Australia and New Zealand will be able to catch the blood moon. Here’s how to get the best view.
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Test out scientific ideas, connect with your ancestors or just marvel at the beauty of nature.
SachaFernandez / Flickr
This Wednesday night, everywhere in Australia will have a box seat for a spectacular total eclipse of the Moon.
A red blood moon is caused by sunlight passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
U.S. Navy/Joshua Valcarcel/WikimediaCommons
In the early morning of May 26, 2021, there will be a super blood-red lunar eclipse. The show will be spectacular and can all be explained by the orbits of the Earth and Moon.
Physician letting blood from a patient. Attributed to Aldobrandino of Siena: Li Livres dou Santé. France, late 13th Century.
British Library, London, UK
A handful of manuscripts remain which give researchers valuable insights into medieval science.
The moon covers much of the sun during the total solar eclipse, in Merlo, San Luis, Argentina, July 2 2019.
EPA-EFE/NICO AGUILERA
While the world gathers to see an eclipse, what’s the rest of nature doing?
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The blood moon myths are many and varied, but, at the end of the day, it’s just an eclipse.
As long as clouds don’t get in the way, the view should be spectacular.
NASA Goddard
A bunch of uncommon things all happening at the same time mean this full moon will have some special attributes.
Eclipses are fun, but no one wants to be left in the dark by a blackout.
REUTERS/Adrees Latif
The solar eclipse offered electricity network operators a “live drill” in how to cope with fluctuating output from renewable energy. They passed with flying colours.
A 1765 painting of Helios, the personification of the sun in Greek mythology.
Wikimedia Commons
The sun was worshiped as a deity in many cultures – and witnessing it get extinguished could be a particularly terrifying event.
A total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the United States Aug. 21, treating amateur and professional astronomers alike to sights similar to this NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory ultraviolet image of the moon eclipsing the sun on Jan. 31, 2014.
(NASA)
If you’ve ever wondered why you can look at a solar eclipse and why it can harm your eyes, the answer is in the sun’s rays.