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)
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.
You don’t need a nice professional camera to snap photos of this year’s eclipse.
George Frey via Getty Images News
Your phone can’t take a perfectly clear picture of a solar eclipse like a professional camera can, but there are lots of other creative directions you can take to capture the rare moment.
The eclipse will allow scientists to get rare measurements of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Changes in light qualities during a solar eclipse are quick and drastic, so familiarity with aperture and shutter speed are important. People with cameras among viewers of a partial solar eclipse in Yanguan town, Haining City, China, in 2009.
(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Apart from technical aspects, a successful photograph of the eclipse serves as a lasting reminder of the sense of wonder and the feeling of being part of something larger than ourselves.
Don’t trust. Verify.
Andrew Holt/The Image Bank via Getty Images
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.
Only a tiny sliver of the Australian continent will witness the totality this time around. But there are five more total eclipses coming over the next 15 years.
Penguins will have the best seat in the house as a total solar eclipse passes over Antarctica on December 4. Australia and New Zealand will experience a minor partial eclipse, but not a noticeable one.
Test out scientific ideas, connect with your ancestors or just marvel at the beauty of nature.
The low solar corona as viewed in extreme ultraviolet light. Bright regions are where the most energetic solar storms are born. An eruption in action can be seen in the bottom-left.
NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) satellite.
Scientists spend years preparing for the two-minute window of a total solar eclipse.
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)
For centuries, scientists have known when and where eclipses will be visible. They pack their bags, head for the line of totality and hope for the best – which doesn’t always happen.
Composite image of moments before, during and after totality.
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
An astronomer explains how. why and when eclipses happen, what scientists can learn from them, and what they would look like if you were standing on the Moon.