To protect their kings, ancient Mesopotamians discovered how to predict eclipses, which were associated with the deaths of rulers. This eventually led to the birth of astronomy.
A composite photograph of the solar eclipse on Dec. 26, 2019 in Liwa, United Arab Emirates.
(Abed Ismail/Unsplash)
Eclipses have long fascinated and intrigued people, and anticipation of the total solar eclipse on April 8 is no exception. The beauty, history, mythology and science of eclipses justify the hype.
Witnessing an eclipse requires taking safety precautions.
(Shutterstock)
Since an eclipse only lasts a few minutes, you need more than just a handful of scientists running around collecting data on bird activity. That’s where a new app comes in.
An artist’s rendition of the eclipse over a city.
(Shutterstock)
The sky is becoming more cluttered with satellites and space junk. This is affecting astronomical study, but will only have a minor effect — if any — on the viewing of the solar eclipse.
El Castillo pyramid illuminated at night under a starry sky in Chichen Itza, Mexico, one of the largest Maya cities.
Matteo Colombo/DigitalVision via Getty Images
The skies and the gods were inseparable in Maya culture. Astronomers kept careful track of events like eclipses in order to perform the renewal ceremonies to continue the world’s cycles of rebirth.
Massive dying stars emit large amounts of radiation.
NASA/ESA/Hubble SM4 ERO Team via AP
Some ancient texts record what were likely dying stars, faintly visible from Earth. If close enough, these events can disturb telescopes and even damage the ozone layer.
An illustration of the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will head to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Douglas Vakoch, California Institute of Integral Studies
Europa Clipper will contain a plaque that celebrates humanity’s relationship with water and a decades-old tradition of searching for life outside Earth.
Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets.
Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam
Powerful jets are launched from the most massive objects in our universe, but we don’t fully understand how. This measurement gets us a step closer to solving the mystery.
The corona of the sun can be clearly seen in this image taken in 2007.
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/NRL/GSFC)
The solar corona can be seen during the solar eclipse on April 8. Astronomers are still trying to figure out the mysteries of the corona, including why it’s so hot.