total solar eclipse
Moon blocks sun
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun's visible disk.
For observers in the moon's shadow, day briefly becomes night, stars appear, and the sun's corona—its outer atmosphere—becomes visible as a glowing ring.
We traveled to see the total solar eclipse.
The path of totality is narrow; outside it, viewers see only a partial eclipse.
- ancient mythsTraditional stories from prehistory
- sun worshipReligious devotion to daystar
- coronaStar's outermost atmosphere
- orbital mechanicsScience of celestial motion
- syzygyTrilinear celestial arrangement
ceremonial practices · pinhole cameras · umbra · protective eyewear · viewing party · once in a lifetime · historical records · folklore · spectrometers · aphelion · axial tilt · tidal forces · chromosphere · penumbra · perihelion · penumbra · perihelion
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