2017 Eclipse State Maps

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  • 
    ID: 12648 Produced Video

    The Moon's Role in a Solar Eclipse

    July 21st, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    This video explains how our moon creates a solar eclipse, why it's such a rare event to see, and how data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has enhanced our ability to map an eclipse's path of totality.Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “Bring Me Up” – Anders Gunnar Kampe & Henrik Lars Wikstrom.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. || While the sun is the main focus of a solar eclipse, our moon plays the most crucial role in creating this unique event. This video tutorial explains what happens during a total solar eclipse and a partial eclipse and how often they both occur. The video also explains how a solar eclipse differs from a lunar eclipse, and gives a helpful tip on how to remember the difference. In addition, the video examines how the two parts of the moon’s shadow, the umbra and penumbra, affect how we see an eclipse on the Earth, and illustrates the surprising true shape of the umbra. The video concludes by highlighting how data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has helped us better map a solar eclipse’s path of totality. Visualizations included in this piece showcase the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse happening in the United States. ||

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  • 
    ID: 12625 Produced Video

    Rare Total Solar Eclipse Is Only Two Months Away Live Shots 6.21.17

    June 13th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    B-roll for the live shots || 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 ||

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  • 
    ID: 12535 Produced Video

    2017 Spring Equinox Live Shots

    March 15th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    B-roll that corresponds with the following suggested questions: 1. What is an equinox?2. There is an exciting event happening this year: a total solar eclipse! When is this happening?3. NASA will be doing some pretty cool science during the eclipse. How is NASA using the eclipse to studythe sun and Earth?4. How do eclipses help us find planets orbiting other stars?5. Where can we learn more?NASA Satellites Ready When Stars and Planets Align. || March 20 Equinox Marks the Start of Spring in the Northern HemisphereDance of the Solar System is the First Solar Event of 2017Stay Tuned for the Big Event of 2017, the August Solar Eclipse!It may not feel like it this week in parts of the country, but spring begins in just a few days. March 20 kicks off the first day of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere. On March 20, the day of the spring Equinox, the sun will pass directly over the Earth’s equator, giving the entire planet equal hours of day and night. This is the seasonal marker in Earth’s orbit around the sun when daylight hours begin to get longer than night. This dance of the solar system is just one celestial event we’ll see this year. On August 21 all 50 states in the U.S. will be in prime position to see a partial or even a total solar eclipse, which happens when the moon is in perfect position to blot out the sun’s bright disk. The last time the U.S. saw a coast-to-coast solar eclipse was in 1918! The path of totality runs from Oregon to South Carolina.NASA will lead an unprecedented science initiative during the eclipse that will draw on the collaboration of the public to help collect images, data and even temperature readings from across the nation during the hour-and-a-half it takes to cross the continent. NASA scientists are available on Monday, March 20 from 6:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EDT to help your viewers ring in the new season and talk about the big solar event this August.***To book a window contact***Michelle Handleman / michelle.z.handleman@nasa.gov/ 301-286-0918 HD Satellite Coordinates for G17-K18Upper: Galaxy 17 Ku-band Xp 18 Slot Upper| 91.0 ° W Longitude | DL 12069.0 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.What is an equinox? 2.There is an exciting event happening this year: a total solar eclipse! When is this happening?3.NASA will be doing some pretty cool science during the eclipse. How is NASA using the eclipse to study the sun and Earth?4.How do eclipses help us find planets orbiting other stars? 5.Where can we learn more?Live Shot Details: Location: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Greenbelt, MarylandScientists:Dr. Alex Young/ NASA ScientistDr. Yari Collado-Vega / NASA Scientist [Interviews in Spanish]Dr. Nicholeen Viall / NASA Scientist Video: 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. EDT on March 20, at the above listed satellite. ||

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  • 
    ID: 4515 Visualization

    2017 Path of Totality

    Dec. 13th, 2016
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    This visualization closely follows the Moon's umbra shadow as it passes over the United States during the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. It covers the one hour and 40 minutes between 10:12 am PDT and 2:52 pm EDT. 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. || During the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, the Moon's umbral shadow will fly across the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina, in a little over 90 minutes. The path of this shadow, the path of totality, is where observers will see the Moon completely cover the Sun for about two and a half minutes.People traveling to see totality, likely numbering in the millions for this eclipse, will rely on maps that show the predicted location of this path. The math used to make eclipse maps was worked out by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel and William Chauvenet in the 19th century, long before computers and the precise astronomical data gathered during the Space Age.In keeping with their paper and pencil origins, traditional eclipse calculations pretend that all observers are at sea level and that the Moon is a smooth sphere centered on its center of mass. Reasonably accurate maps, including this one, are drawn based on those simplifying assumptions. Those who want greater accuracy are usually referred to elevation tables and plots of the lunar limb.This animation shows the umbra and its path in a new way. Elevations on the Earth's surface and the irregular lunar limb (the silhouette edge of the Moon's disk) are both fully accounted for, and they both have dramatic and surprising effects on the shape of the umbra and the location of the path. To read more about these effects, go here.The animation provides an overhead view of the umbra and runs at a rate of 30× real time — every minute of the eclipse takes two seconds in the animation. For an oblique view that emphasizes the terrain of the path, go here.Earth radius6378.137 kmEllipsoidWGS84GeoidEGM96Moon radius1737.4 kmSun radius696,000 km (959.645 arcsec at 1 AU)EphemerisDE 421Earth orientationearth_070425_370426_predict.bpc (ΔT corrected)Delta UTC69.184 seconds (TT – TAI + 37 leap seconds)ΔT68.917 seconds ||

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  • 
    ID: 4518 Visualization

    2017 Total Solar Eclipse Map and Shapefiles

    Dec. 13th, 2016
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    A map of the United States showing the path of totality for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. This is version 2 of the map, available at both 5400 × 2700 and 10,800 × 5400. || This map of the United States shows the path of the Moon's umbral shadow — the path of totality — during the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, as well as the obscuration (the fraction of the Sun's area covered by the Moon) in places outside the umbral path. Features include state boundaries, major highways, and 833 place names. At 18" × 9" (45 × 22.5 cm), the scale of the map is approximately 1:10,000,000.The umbra is shown at 10-minute intervals. Umbra shapes within U.S. time zones are labeled in local time. To read about the reason the shapes aren't smooth ovals, go here.The map uses a number of NASA data products. The land color is based on Blue Marble Next Generation, a global mosaic of MODIS images assembled by NASA's Earth Observatory. Elevations are from SRTM, a radar instrument flown on Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-99 mission. Lunar topography, used for precise shadow calculations, is from NASA LRO laser altimetry and JAXA Kaguya stereo imaging. Planetary positions are from the JPL DE421 ephemeris. The lunar limb profile and eclipse calculations are by the visualizer. ||

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  • 
    ID: 4314 Visualization

    2017 Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S.

    Sept. 9th, 2015
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    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. || 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's shadow can be divided into areas called the umbra and the penumbra. Within the penumbra, the Sun is only partially blocked, and observers experience a partial eclipse. The much smaller umbra lies at the very center of the shadow cone, and anyone there sees the Moon entirely cover the Sun in a total solar eclipse.In the animation, the umbra is the small black oval. The red streak behind this oval is the path of totality. Anyone within this path will see a total eclipse when the umbra passes over them. The much larger shaded bullseye pattern represents the penumbra. Steps in the shading denote different percentages of Sun coverage (eclipse magnitude), at levels of 90%, 75%, 50% and 25%. The yellow and orange contours map the path of the penumbra. The outermost yellow contour is the edge of the penumbra path. Outside this limit, no part of the Sun is covered by the Moon.The numbers in the lower left corner give the latitude and longitude of the center of the umbra as it moves eastward, along with the altitude of the Sun above the horizon at that point. Also shown is the duration of totality: for anyone standing at the center point, this is how long the total solar eclipse will last. Note that the duration varies from just 2 minutes on the West Coast to 2 minutes 40 seconds east of the Mississippi River.About AccuracyYou might think that calculating the circumstances of an eclipse would be, if not easy, then at least precise. If you do the math correctly, you’d expect to get exactly the same answers as everyone else. But the universe is more subtle than that. The Earth is neither smooth nor perfectly spherical, nor does it rotate at a perfectly constant, predictable speed. The Moon isn’t smooth, either, which means that the shadow it casts isn’t a simple circle. And our knowledge of the size of the Sun is uncertain by a factor of about 0.2%, enough to affect the duration of totality by several seconds.Everyone who performs these calculations will make certain choices to simplify the math or to precisely define an imperfectly known number. The choices often depend on the goals and the computing resources of the calculator, and as you'd expect, the results will differ slightly. You can get quite good results with a relatively simple approach, but it sometimes takes an enormous effort to get only slightly better answers.The following table lists some of the constants and data used for this animation.Earth radius6378.137 kmEarth flattening1 / 298.257 (the WGS 84 ellipsoid)Moon radius1737.4 km (k = 0.2723993)Sun radius696,000 km (959.634 arcsec at 1 AU)EphemerisDE 421Earth orientationearth_070425_370426_predict.bpc (ΔT corrected)Delta UTC68.184 seconds (TT – TAI + 36 leap seconds)A number of sources explain Bessel’s method of solar eclipse calculation, including chapter 9 of Astronomy on the Personal Computer by Oliver Montenbruck and Thomas Pflager and the eclipses chapter of The Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. The method was adapted to the routines available in NAIF's SPICE software library.The value for the radius of the Moon is slightly larger than the one used by Fred Espenak and slightly smaller than the one used by the Astronomical Almanac. The Sun radius is the one used most often, but see figure 1 in M. Emilio et al., Measuring the Solar Radius from Space during the 2003 and 2006 Mercury Transits for a sense of the uncertainty in this number.Both the elevations of locations on the Earth and the irregular limb of the Moon were ignored. The resulting small errors mostly affect the totality duration calculation, but they tend to cancel out—elevations above sea level slightly lengthen totality, while valleys along the lunar limb slightly shorten it. The effect on the rendered images is negligible (smaller than a pixel).Another minor complication that's ignored here is the difference between the Moon's center of mass (the position reported in the ephemeris) and its center of figure (the center of the disk as seen from Earth). These two centers don't exactly coincide because the Moon's mass isn't distributed evenly, but the difference is quite small, about 0.5 kilometers. ||

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    ID: 12458 Produced Video

    Shadow of the Eclipse

    June 12th, 2017
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    See the most accurate map for Aug 21, 2017's total solar eclipse. || On August 21, 2017, the moon will pass between Earth and the sun in a total solar eclipse that will be visible on a path from Oregon to South Carolina across the continental United States. This path of totality will occur in a little over 90 minutes, while observers on the ground will see the eclipse for about two and a half minutes. Standing at the edge of the moon's shadow, or umbra, the difference between seeing a total eclipse and a partial eclipse comes down to elevation - mountains and valleys both on Earth and on the moon - which affect where the shadow lands. In this visualization, data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter account for the moon's terrain that creates a jagged edge on its shadow. This data is then combined with elevation data on Earth as well as information on the sun angle to create the most accurate map of the eclipse path to date. Watch the video to learn more. All State maps are available at: NASA's official eclipse 2017 website ||

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