solar eclipse

Science

Live Blog: Total Solar Eclipse Crosses The U.S.

9:50am August 21, 2017

by NPR Staff

It is indeed dark during the day as a total solar eclipse makes its way from Oregon to South Carolina. Eleven states are in the path of total darkness.

Left: A partial solar eclipse, as viewed from the Cotswolds, United Kingdom, March 2015. Right: A total solar eclipse, as viewed from Longyearbyen, Norway, March 2015.

Be Smart: A Partial Eclipse Can Fry Your Naked Eyes

6:02pm August 18, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

And telescopes and binoculars only amplify the risk to your eyes from looking at the sun, doctors say. So even if you're not in the "path of totality," take precautions if you plan to watch.

Solar cells sit in the sun at the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in Desert Center, Calif. The people who run California's electric grid expect the solar power output to be cut roughly in half during the eclipse.

California Prepares For An Eclipse Of Its Solar Power

3:29pm August 18, 2017

by Lauren Sommer

On a sunny day, California gets up to 40 percent of its energy from solar power. Monday's total eclipse isn't just a scientific spectacle, it's a major concern for the state's power grid.

Queue Listen Now

During the day on Aug. 21, large swaths of farmland will be plunged into darkness, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees. Scientists are waiting to see how crops and animals react.

Will The Eclipse Make Crops And Animals Flip Out? Scientists Ask (Really)

6:01pm August 17, 2017

by Kristofor Husted

During the day on Aug. 21, large swaths of farmland will be plunged into darkness, and temperatures will drop about 10 degrees. And scientists are waiting to see what happens on the ground.

Watching the eclipse? Save your eyeballs — rig up a sweet viewing set-up with some help from this video.

Make Your Own Eclipse Viewer

4:38pm August 17, 2017

No eclipse glasses? No problem. Make your own solar viewer; (almost) no tools required.

Neza Pintaric, 9 and sister Ula, 11, right, from Slovenia watch the partial eclipse of the sun through solar glasses in Hyde Park in central London, Friday August 1, 2008.

Here's What You Need To Know About The Total Solar Eclipse

11:18am August 17, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

As America prepares for the eclipse on Aug. 21, here are some basic facts about the phenomenon.

Eclipses aren't just natural marvels - they're still teaching us a lot about the universe.

How Eclipses Changed History

6:31am August 16, 2017

Newton and Einstein had big ideas, but needed an eclipse to prove them. And scientists are still pursuing secrets of the universe one eclipse at a time.

News
Science

What To Expect From The Solar Eclipse In The Triad

4:38pm August 15, 2017

by Eddie Garcia

The first total solar eclipse since 1918 is happening on Monday, August 21, and people across the country are gearing up to view the astronomical event.

Queue Listen Now

On Nov. 13, 2012, a narrow corridor in the southern hemisphere experienced a total solar eclipse. The corridor lay mostly over the ocean but also cut across the northern tip of Australia where both professional and amateur astronomers gathered to watch.

Why Future Earthlings Won't See Total Solar Eclipses

10:08am August 14, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The Earth won't enjoy total solar eclipses forever because the moon is moving farther away, so it looks smaller and smaller over time.

Science

Demand For Solar Eclipse Glasses Has Many Local Vendors Sold Out

10:42pm August 13, 2017

by Bethany Chafin

Regardless of where you live or how much of the eclipse you'll see next week, it's important to have the right glasses, and there plenty of them being sold that aren't up to standard.