2017 Eclipse: Earth, Moon and Sun

On Monday, Aug. 21, all of North America was treated to one of the rarest celestial events – a solar eclipse. Members of the public came out to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Visitors Center to experience the partial and chat NASA scientists about this unique event.During the eclipse, 14 states across the U.S. were in the path of totality and experienced more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day – with a partial eclipse viewable all across North America. The eclipse’s long path over land provided a unique opportunity to study the Sun, Earth, Moon and their interaction.Solar eclipses happen somewhere in the world about every 18 months, but much of the time it happens over the ocean. To have an eclipse travel across so much land where millions of people live is incredibly rare, and makes for a unique opportunity for so many to witness one of nature’s most impressive shows.Still images from Earth and science satellites will be uploaded/available at https://flic.kr/s/aHsm21Mytv.Images sent in by the general public will be uploaded/available at https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/. B-roll for August 21st Eclipse, filmed at NASA s mall and visitor center.

Are you ready for the historic solar eclipse that’s just days away?Do you have what you need to see it safely?You can see the eclipse no matter where you are in North America on Aug. 21!August 21 will be a day for the history books. No matter where you are in North America, you’ll get to experience the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in nearly a century! The dark shadow of the moon will sweep from Oregon to South Carolina, putting 14 states in the path of totality and providing a spectacular view of a partial eclipse across all 50 states.Eclipses are an incredible experience, but it’s important to view them safely. Join NASA scientists on Wednesday, August 16, from 6:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET and again from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET to show your viewers what they need to safely see the eclipse whether they’re inside the path of totality or not. You should never look directly at the sun! The only safe way to look directly at the sun or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or hand-held solar viewers. An eclipse is a striking phenomenon you won t want to miss, but you must carefully follow safety procedures.Solar eclipses happen somewhere in the world about every 18 months, but much of the time it happens over the ocean. To have an eclipse travel across so much land where millions of people live is incredibly rare, and makes for a unique opportunity for so many to witness one of nature’s most impressive shows. It’s also a great opportunity for scientists to see the sun’s faint outer atmosphere and evaluate how Earth responds to the sudden darkening.Take this opportunity to step outside and safely watch one of nature’s best shows!*** To book a window ***Contact Michelle Handleman michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov / 301-286-0918HD Satellite Digital Coordinates for G17-K20/Up: Galaxy 17, Ku-band Xp 20, Slot Upper | 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12109.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio EmbeddedSuggested Questions:1. The anticipated solar eclipse is just days away! What will we experience next week?2. We’ve been told never to look directly at the sun (even with sunglasses!). How can we enjoy this eclipse safely?3. For those in the path of totality – when is it safe to finally take off our solar glasses?4. We’re not in the path of totality – what interesting things should we lookout for?5. Why are you excited for this eclipse?6. Where can we learn more?Extra Questions for Longer Interviews:7. How did a picture of an eclipse in 1919 prove Einstein’s theory of relativity?8. Eclipses are actually a special type of transit. How are transits helping scientists search for life on other planets?9. Why does an eclipse only last for a few minutes?10. What happens to Earth during the eclipse?11. If you were looking back at Earth during the eclipse what would you see?12. How has our precise mapping of the moon helped us predict the path of eclipses?13. How long and where was the longest ever recorded eclipse?Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Greenbelt, MarylandInterviews With:Dr. Michelle Thaller / NASA ScientistDr. Alex Young / NASA ScientistDr. Jim Garvin / NASA ScientistDr. Nicholeen Viall / NASA ScientistDr. Eric Christian / NASA ScientistDr. Yari Collado-Vega / NASA Scientist [Spanish speaker]Dr. Geronimo Villanueva / NASA Scientist [Spanish speaker]https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/@NASASunHow to photograph an eclipse.Planning to take photos of the eclipse? Check out our tips for capturing the best images:#Eclipse2017 Canned interviews and b-roll will be available here starting Tuesday, August 15, at 6:00 p.m. ET. B-roll that goes along with 8.16.17 eclipse live shots. Canned interview with NASA Scientist, Dr. Nicholeen Viall. Canned interview with Dr Michelle Thaller/ NASA Scientist looking on camera. Each question is separated by a slate and there are two versions of each answer - one with graphics rolling during the SOT and one without graphics. TRT 9:52

One Month and Counting: Solar Eclipse Visible From Everywhere in North AmericaBecome a Citizen Scientist During the Eclipse, Using the GLOBE Phone AppHelp Scientists Study What Happens When Earth Goes Dark During the Solar EclipseOne of the most anticipated solar eclipses in history is just a month away. The August 21 solar eclipse provides a unique opportunity to study our planet and what happens when Earth goes dark during an eclipse. It’s also an opportunity for what may be the largest citizen science project of all time.On that Monday, the moon’s shadow will darken the sky, causing temperatures to drop and stars to become visible in the normally day lit sky. This brief hiccup in the usual day-night cycle changes the amount of energy an area gets from the sun.NASA scientists hope to learn just how much Earth’s environment changes during this historic eclipse and they need help from your viewers! Using the GLOBE Observer phone application, curious eclipse onlookers can become citizen scientists. This resulting data will help us better understand the important relationship between the sun and Earth.Join NASA scientists on Friday, July 21 from 6:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET to find out where your viewers can see the eclipse and how they can participate, whether they’re viewing from the path of totality or not!Everyone in North America (weather dependent) will experience an eclipse, one of nature’s rarest shows – even those outside the path of totality. For the first time since 1918, the dark shadow of the moon will sweep coast-to-coast across the United States, putting 14 states in the path of totality and providing a spectacular view of a partial eclipse across all 50 states.HD Satellite Coordinates for G17-K18/LO: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Lower| 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12051.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio Embedded*** To book a window contact*** Clare Skelly / clare.a.skelly@nasa.gov / (301) 286-4994Suggested Questions:1. What’s going to happen one month from today? [answer includes safety information]2. Why is this eclipse special to NASA?3. How can our viewers participate?4. We live on a solar powered planet. How does energy from the sun impact Earth?5. Where can we learn more?Extra Questions for Longer Interviews:6. Tell us about the new mission NASA is preparing to launch that will continue to collect information on the sun-Earth relationship.7. Can solar eclipses be seen from other planets and what do they look like?8. An eclipse is a type of transit. How can astronomers use transits to detect planets orbiting other stars?Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center / Greenbelt, MarylandScientists:Dr. Michelle Thaller / NASA ScientistDr. Jim Garvin / NASA ScientistDr. Alex Young / NASA ScientistDr. Ivona Cetinic / NASA ScientistVideo: NASA will roll all insert videos during live interviews. If needed, stations can roll a clean feed of all video at 5:45 a.m. ET on July 21, 2017, at the above listed satellite.Download the GLOBE Observer Application for iOS or Android.For eclipse information, maps and safety: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/To learn more about the GLOBE program: https://observer.globe.gov/For more information about how NASA studies Earth: https://www.nasa.gov/earth Canned interviews will be available by 6:00 p.m. ET on July 20, 2017. B-roll package for liveshot. Canned soundbites with Dr. Alex Young. TRT 4:59. Includes full transcript answering the following questions:1. What’s going to happen one month from today? [answer includes safety information]2. Why is this eclipse special to NASA?3. How can our viewers participate?4. We live on a solar powered planet. How does energy from the sun impact Earth?5. How can we safely view the eclipse?6. Where can we learn more? Soundbites with NASA Scientist Dr. Michelle Thaller looking off camera. TRT 4:06. Includes full text of the soundbites. SOTs are separated by a slate. She answers the following questions:1. What s new mission that will collect information on the sun-Earth relationship? For More InformationSee [https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/](https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/)

This visualization combines the views from several previous visualizations (#4390, #4321, and #4314) to create a continuous camera flight from the night side of the Earth to the day side, showing the relationship of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during the August 21, 2017 eclipse. It shows the direction of the Moon s shadow during the August 21, 2017 eclipse from both the night and day sides of the Earth. For More InformationSee [eclipse2017.nasa.gov](eclipse2017.nasa.gov)

The Countdown is on for Rare Solar Eclipse Visible Across all of North AmericaFor the First Time in Nearly 100 Years, Millions of Americans Coast-to-Coast Will see an Eclipse Chat with NASA to find out how you can catch this spectacular eventOn August 21, 2017, daylight will fade to the level of a moonlit night as millions of Americans experience one of nature’s most awe-inspiring shows – a total solar eclipse. For the first time since 1918, the dark shadow of the moon will sweep coast-to-coast across the United States, putting 14 states in the path of totality and providing a spectacular view of a partial eclipse across all 50 states.NASA scientists are available Wednesday, June 21, from 6:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET to show your viewers the path of the eclipse, what they need to see it safely and talk about the unprecedented science that will be gathered from one of the most anticipated and widely observed celestial events in history. We’ll also give your viewers a sneak peek of a press conference about the eclipse NASA is having later that day.A solar eclipse happens when a rare alignment of the sun and moon casts a shadow on Earth. NASA knows the shape of the moon better than any other planetary body, and this data allows us to accurately predict the shape of the shadow as it falls on the face of Earth. While everyone in the U.S. will see the eclipse if their local skies are clear, people standing in the path of totality – completely in the moon’s shadow – will see stars and planets become visible in what is normally a sunlit sky. Eclipses provide an unprecedented opportunity for us to see the sun’s faint outer atmosphere in a way that cannot be replicated by current human-made instruments. Scientists believe this region of the sun is the main driver for the sun’s constant outpouring of radiation, known as the solar wind, as well as powerful bursts of solar material that can be harmful to our satellites, orbiting astronauts and power grids on the ground. HD Satellite Coordinates for G17-K18/LO: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Lower | 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12051.0 MHz | Vertical Polarity | QPSK/DVB-S | FEC 3/4 | SR 13.235 Mbps | DR 18.2954 MHz | HD 720p | Format MPEG2 | Chroma Level 4:2:0 | Audio Embedded**To book a window contact** / Michelle Handleman / michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov / 301-286-0918Suggested Questions:1. This is the first time in nearly 100 years that the United States will have the opportunity to see a total solar eclipse coast-to-coast! What will happen on August 21?2. This eclipse will be the most widely observed and shared celestial event in U.S. history. Why are scientists excited for this eclipse?3. Eclipses allow scientists to see the sun’s faint outer atmosphere, which is actually hotter than its surface. What can you tell us about NASA’s upcoming mission that will touch the sun?4. How does NASA’s study of our sun help us explore the solar system?5. How does NASA’s mapping of the moon give us the accurate path of totality?6. Where can we learn more?Live Shot Details:Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Greenbelt, MarylandScientists:Dr. Alex Young / NASA ScientistDr. Nicholeen Viall / NASA ScientistDr. Noah Petro / NASA ScientistDr. Geronimo Villanueva [in Spanish] / NASA ScientistTo learn more visit:Eclipse Across AmericaOn Twitter @NASASun B-roll for the live shots Canned interview with NASA Scientist Dr. Nicholeen Viall looking off camera. Soundbites are separated by slates. Includes transcript of soundbites. Canned interview in Spanish with Dr. Yari Collado-Vega. Soundbites are separated with slates Soundbites with Drs. Alex Young and Noah Petro. TRT 5:41. Includes full transcript with timecodes For More InformationSee [https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/](https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/)

When depicting an eclipse path, data visualizers have usually chosen to represent the moon s umbra shadow as it passes over the United States during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. Through the use of a number of NASA datasets, notably the global elevation maps from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the shape and location of the shadow is depicted with unprecedented accuracy.

On an ordinary day, the insolation above the horizon, the sunlight energy per square meter is half of what it is when the Sun is directly overhead. This relationship is the reason that the tropics are hot and the poles are cold. Combined with day length, it s area covered by the Moon, is calculated at 10-second intervals from 16:25:40 to 20:25:30 UTC at a resolution of 360/8192 degrees per pixel (roughly 3.75 ), with white = 100% obscuration and black = 0%. The sharp borders are the terminator (the day-night line). The complete dataset can be downloaded as a single .zip file (196 MB).

A number of satellites will be watching the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse from space. One of them, the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) will see the eclipse from its orbit around L1, the Lagrange point located about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth along the Earth-Sun line. From this vantage point, DSCOVR s orbit takes it several degrees off both the Sun-Earth line and the Sun-Moon line. For the same reason, the Moon will not be in the frame. The animation places the virtual camera in a plausible position for DSCOVR. The actual position of the spacecraft at the time of the eclipse will be affected by adjustments to its orbit that may be made in the coming months.EPIC has already captured the total solar eclipse of March, 2016. The August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse as seen from a satellite in orbit around L1, a point about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction of the Sun.

LEAD: NASA scientists and astronomers are already planning for the first total solar eclipse for the United States in 38 years. 1. On August 21, 2017, the moon will pass between the sun and Earth in an alignment that will cast the moon s shadow onto Earth. 2. A dark shadow of the moon, 170 miles wide, will sweep across the U.S. over the course of one-and-a-half hours. 3. People in cities lying within the narrow path of the shadow (red line in the video) will experience an eerie sense of twilight as day turns to night and back to day again within roughly 2-2.5 minutes. TAG: Solar astronomers will use the solar eclipse to study the outer atmosphere of the sun.

On Monday, August 21, 2017, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, casting its shadow across all of North America. This will be the first total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States in 38 years.The Moon t distributed evenly, but the difference is quite small, about 0.5 kilometers. A view of the United States during the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, showing the umbra (black oval), penumbra (concentric shaded ovals), and path of totality (red) through or very near several major cities. A view of the United States during the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, showing the umbra (black oval), penumbra (concentric shaded ovals), and path of totality (red). This version omits the city and state names and the statistics display. A view of the United States during the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, showing the umbra (black oval), penumbra (concentric shaded ovals), and path of totality (red). This version includes images of the Sun showing its appearance in a number of locations, each oriented to the local horizon.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon s shadow falls on the Earth. The shadow comprises two concentric cones called the umbra and the penumbra. Within the smaller, central umbra, the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon, and anyone inside the umbra sees a total eclipse. Within the larger penumbra, the Sun is only partially blocked.In this animation, the umbra and penumbra cones are viewed through a telescopic lens on a virtual camera located far behind the Moon. Long focal lengths like the one used here appear to compress the distance between near and far objects. Despite appearances, the geometry of the scene is correct. The Earth is roughly 112 lunar diameters beyond the Moon, and the angle at the apex of the umbral cone is only about half a degree.From this point of view directly behind the Moon, the edges of the shadow cones look circular. The edge of the penumbra is outlined in yellow. It passes over all of North and Central America and the Amazon basin, as well as Greenland and the North Pole. Everyone there will see at least a partial eclipse. The path of the umbra (the small black dot) crosses the United States from Oregon to South Carolina. The umbral and penumbral shadow cones travel across the surface of the Earth during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse.

Solar eclipses can only occur at New Moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. But not every New Moon produces an eclipse. The Moon s shadow barely reaches the Earth as it traces a path across North America. The Moon orbits the Earth in the months prior to the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. This is identical to the first media item on this page, except that the Moon and Earth labels have been omitted.