Sun  Planets and Moons  ID: 12481

2017's All American Solar Eclipse

Story by Kathalina Tran | Visualizations by Ernie Wright Released on March 27, 2017
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On August 21, 2017, a solar eclipse will be visible across North America.
On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, a total eclipse will cross the entire United States, coast-to-coast, for the first time since 1918. Weather permitting, the entire continent will have the opportunity to view a partial eclipse as the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on Earth’s surface. Some will see a total eclipse along a path that begins near Lincoln City, Oregon and ends near Charleston, South Carolina. Solar eclipses occur when the moon blocks any part of the sun. Total solar eclipses, however, are only possible on Earth because of a cosmic quirk of geometry: The sun’s diameter is about 400 times wider than the moon’s, but it is also about 400 times farther away. The result is that the sun and the moon appear to be the same size from our perspective. When they line up just right, the moon can obscure the sun’s entire surface, an occurrence once every 12 to 18 months. Partial solar eclipses, on the other hand, occur when the alignment is such that the moon blocks only part of the sun, and these can occur more frequently. During a total eclipse, we have the rare opportunity to look directly at the sun’s vast, striking outer atmosphere, the corona. The corona appears as pearly white rays and streamers, radiating around the lunar disk. Watch the video to learn more.
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Watch the video to learn more about the solar eclipse that will occur on August 21, 2017.
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Most observers will see a partial eclipse except for those along the path of totality.
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The moon is directly between the Earth and the sun during an eclipse, allowing us to see and study the sun's corona.
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Eclipse glasses are essential to avoid eye damage when looking at the sun, even partially eclipsed.
 

Source Material

2017 Eclipse: Earth, Moon and Sun
2017 Eclipse and the Moon's Orbit
2017 Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S.

Related Story

Visualizing the 2017 All-American Eclipse

For More Information

NASA.gov

Story Credits

Lead Visualizer/Animator:
Ernie Wright (USRA)

Visualizers/Animators:
Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)
Alex Kekesi (Global Science and Technology, Inc.)

Lead Producer:
Genna Duberstein (USRA)

Lead Scientist:
C. Alex Young (NASA/GSFC)

Lead Writer:
Kathalina Tran (KBRwyle)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Image of eclipse courtesy of Miloslav Druckmüller, Peter Aniol, Martin Dietzel, Vojtech Rušin
Image of boy in eclipse glasses by NASA/Bill Ingalls

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12481

Keywords:
SVS >> HDTV
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Sun
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons