Don’t Miss the Solar Eclipse!

In some parts of the United States on Monday, April 8, the sky will become as dark as night—in the middle of the day. That’s because on this date a total solar eclipse will take place. The moon will completely block the view of the sun from certain places on Earth for a short period of time.

This type of eclipse happens in the same location only about once every 375 years! Millions of people are making eclipse-watching plans so they don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Many will travel hundreds or thousands of miles to watch this spectacular show in the sky.

The sun is about 400 times larger than the moon. How can a smaller object block our view of a much bigger one? It can happen because the sun is much farther from Earth—about 400 times farther away than the moon. This huge difference in distance makes both objects appear about the same size in our sky. It’s also why the moon can cover up the sun when it’s in just the right place.

When the moon blocks the sun, it casts a dark shadow on Earth. On April 8, that 185 kilometer (115 mile)-wide shadow will pass diagonally across the U.S. from Texas to Maine. For people directly in the eclipse’s shadow, called the path of totality, the sun will completely disappear for a minute or two. The moon will create the appearance of an inky black hole over the sun. The daytime sky will look like evening twilight. The air will grow cooler. Bright stars may become visible. And people will be able to see the sun’s wispy, hot outer corona, which is usually invisible.

People outside the path of totality will still get to see something special: a partial solar eclipse. The moon will cover a portion of the sun’s disk, making the sun look like a crescent. It will last for an hour or two.

Are you planning to check out the eclipse? If so, visit NASA’s eclipse website. It shows how much the moon will cover the sun and when that will happen at your location. 

You’ll also need the right gear to watch the eclipse. Special eclipse glasses can be purchased at stores and online. These glasses have filters that will protect your eyes from the sun’s glare. Without them, looking directly at the sun will damage your eyes—even during an eclipse. 

No glasses? No problem! You can also watch the eclipse through a special device called a solar eclipse viewer. You can make your own viewer using items from your home or school by following these instructions.

Finally, find a place with a clear view of the sky that you can travel to on April 8. Try to arrive at least 10 minutes before the moon covers the sun in that location so that you can be sure to see the whole event.

If you can’t see much from your location, don’t worry. NASA will stream live video of the eclipse on April 8.