What causes an eclipse?
The moon moving between the Earth and the Sun.
How long does it last?
- The 2017 eclipse will travel across the US over a period of 1.25 hours.
- Totality is only a few minutes (just under 3 minutes at most).
- However, the eclipse will be visible for about an hour, the time it takes from time moon starts to block sun until the moon is no longer blocking the sun.
- NASA Eclipse Animation
Where you have to be to see it?
- Although the region of totality is only across parts of the US, there are still many places just outside the path will be able to see an almost total eclipse.
- The interactive NASA 2017 Eclipse Map gives the eclipse conditions and times at various locations across the country (whether on the path of totality or outside it).
What is special about the 2017 Eclipse?
- Visible to a larger group of people across the US than has been possible during anyone’s lifetime
- We have better resources to study this eclipse than previous eclipses.
Why do scientists care about eclipses?
Lots of scientists care about eclipses. There is solar science, earth scientists, ionospheric science.