solar eclipse experiments

Five Fascinating Science Projects Using the Total Solar Eclipse to Illuminate New Discoveries

The NASA-supported experiments are mobilizing legions of researchers and volunteers to capture wide-ranging observations during totality, from amateur radio operations to elusive solar plumes to unusual animal behavior

Catherine Duncan

Staff Contributor

As the moon blankets the sun and casts a dark shadow over the Earth, scientific breakthroughs can come to light. Total solar eclipses are more than just breathtaking spectacles—they are cosmic rarities that give researchers unique opportunities to study natural phenomena otherwise imperceivable.

More than 100 years ago, astronomers used a total solar eclipse to prove Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity , revolutionizing our understanding of the universe. Now, as North America prepares for its first total solar eclipse in seven years, scientists have the potential to make additional, pivotal discoveries.

On April 8, shadow will stretch across swaths of the continent, passing over 30 million people. As it does, these research projects will leverage the highly anticipated event to expand human understanding of the universe and promote local scientific engagement.

Here are five NASA-funded projects seeking to make new breakthroughs during the solar eclipse.

The Eclipse Megamovie

The sun’s corona, its glowing outermost atmosphere that whips tendrils of white-hot plasma into space, is usually hidden. The star’s bright surface tends to obscure it from observation. But during a total solar eclipse, these conditions are flipped, as the blazing corona becomes visible against a shadowed sun.

This year, the Eclipse Megamovie 2024 has recruited more than 100 citizen scientist photographers to line the path of totality and set up cameras pointing toward the corona. The resulting collection of images will be crucial for examining this mysterious region and the turbulent solar weather that it produces.

“The solar eclipse is the only time we can really take these certain kinds of photographs,” says Hannah Hellman, a communications specialist for the project. “The idea is to be able to study the motion of the solar corona, the way it looks and the way it behaves.”

When the Eclipse Megamovie began during the total solar eclipse in 2017, it was a “first-of-its-kind project,” compiling tens of thousands of photos of the corona into a continuous video to study the sun’s atmosphere as a whole, according to Hellman. The 2024 project narrows its focus. By garnering even more images in even higher definition, the team seeks to reveal the “ secret lives ” of solar jets and plumes, which are formed on the sun and seem to disappear or alter form before they ultimately leave the star with the solar wind .

“The region between the inner and outer corona is a transition region. It’s where a lot of solar plasma waves, coronal mass ejections of [solar jets], all these electromagnetic processes happen,” says Laura Peticolas , principal investigator for the Eclipse Megamovie and a physics and astronomy expert at Sonoma State University. “From a big picture physics perspective, the question is: What physics drives these jets, what is allowing them to continue to propagate out into the solar wind? And what physics keeps the solar jets from doing that?”

Using DSLR cameras, each citizen scientist photographer will take around 90 images at different exposures. After photos and location data are submitted, the Eclipse Megamovie team will host a competition for volunteer software engineers, who will use machine learning to stitch the photos together into a fluid video. The intended result: a jaw-dropping movie of the corona in motion.

HamSci and Solar Eclipse QSO Parties

Amateur radio stations across the continent will be tuning into the upcoming total solar eclipse. In several “ Solar Eclipse QSO Parties ,” they hope to paint a clearer picture of the ionosphere , the atmospheric region that distributes the radio waves they use to communicate.

The ionosphere is constantly changing, warping in response to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, making it notoriously difficult to measure—it’s too high for airplanes to fly and too low for satellites to roam. That’s where amateur radio operators come in.

With the Solar Eclipse QSO Party, amateur, or ham, operators will send and receive signals to one another, tracking their signal strength and reach before, during and after the eclipse. The effort is a research project and a contest: Participants must contact as many people in two-way transmissions (QSOs) as possible and reach others as far away as possible. More people equals more points, and those points are multiplied by distance. Any ham station with an HF radio and antenna can participate.

W8EDU, Case Western Reserve University’s amateur radio club, is a collaborating institution in the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation , or HamSci, and its members have been gearing up for their QSO party, on top of their  individual eclipse research .

“We’re gamifying the collection of data in order to learn more about these ionospheric conditions,” says Aaron Bilow, an electrical engineering undergraduate at Case Western and leader of W8EDU’s Solar Eclipse QSO Party team. The data will inform how the ionosphere behaves when the sun is blocked, in comparison to before and after the eclipse.

“With information that people are receiving with these transmitters, looking at whether or not they can hear the other station or how those signals change, we’re able to remotely measure how the eclipse is changing the upper atmosphere,” says Nathaniel Frissell , an electrical engineer and founder of HamSci.

Scientists know the ionosphere evolves in a 24-hour process, from day to night, says Frissell. But the eclipse is like quickly “flicking a light switch,” according to Laura Schwartz, a W8EDU club member and electrical engineering student. The citizen scientists will reveal how a short, sudden darkness affects the way radio waves propagate in the ionosphere—and how this may alter its overall ionization.

“Everyone participating has a sense of community,” says Adam Goodman, a W8EDU club member and electrical engineering student. “The human aspect is very important, along with science. You have people crazy enough to go out and pitch wires in their backyard and then listen across the country for signals out of the static.”

SunSketcher

The surface of the sun is nearly a precise sphere—with some exceptions. These deviations are small but significant, and understanding them could unlock insights into the solar interior.

In April, SunSketcher  hopes to mobilize millions of volunteers to track the surface shape of the sun. The process is a straightforward one. Citizen scientists along the path of totality will download the SunSketcher app, prop up their phone with a tripod or an available object (such as a rock) and point it at the sun. The app is preprogrammed to take photos at particular times during the eclipse.

“In a smartphone, you have GPS, a location and time very precisely. Every person has this really high-precision data,” says Hugh Hudson , a research physicist at the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, and project lead for SunSketcher. “Our theoretical solution is that if you get a million people with a million pieces of bad data, you’ve got good data.”

The carefully timed images are meant to capture a phenomenon called Baily’s Beads. Right before and just after totality, when only a slim crescent of the sun is visible, these small pearls of light shine through gaps in the moon’s rocky terrain.

Scientists can use the smartphone photos to time and track Baily’s Beads (and according to the project , you don’t need a solar filter for the app to work). Researchers will use this data alongside their existing understanding of the moon’s topography and positioning, which they know from satellite measurements.

“That last flash of light depends on the structure of the moon. If there’s a lunar valley, you see a flash of light. If there’s a lunar mountain, you don’t see it,” says Hudson. “Because we know where the moon’s mountains and valleys are, we can project that back on the sun and see the shape of the sun. Hence, SunSketcher.”

The resulting data will help measure the sun’s oblateness, or how much it has been flattened into a more elliptical shape by its rotation and internal dynamics, from solar tides to flows of gas. Understanding the sun’s shape can allow for more precise research into gravitational theories and how the sun’s gravity affects the planets’ motion.

While measurements of the sun with telescopes have been able to discern its oblateness to a notable degree, SunSketcher aims to be even more precise.

“We’re hoping to do a factor of ten better, maybe a factor of 100 better. That’s where you start to make discoveries in science,” says Hudson. “If you beat the previous measurements in the field by a factor, then you are going to learn something.”

Citizen CATE: Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse Experiment

As the eclipse sweeps over the continent, 35 teams of citizen scientists, all equipped with identical telescopes, will dot a path from Eagle Pass, Texas, to Houlton, Maine. Their goal: to capture video clips along the 2,000-mile-long stretch of totality to display the magnetic structure of the sun’s middle corona.

Using special cameras that are sensitive to the polarization of light, each team will capture two to three minutes of video to create a total 60 minutes of continuous footage, centered on the sun’s lower to middle corona. This will allow scientists to examine the motion, magnetic structure and density of the region—revealing how magnetic energy within the corona is transferred into heat and ultimately helping determine the strength of solar winds .

“The light from the corona is polarized. And, it turns out that the direction of polarization and amount of polarization provide extra information about what’s happening in the corona in ways you can’t easily get without measuring polarization,” says Amir Caspi , leader of the CATE 2024 project and a solar physicist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “[With] this camera, every pixel has a polarization filter on it. So, we can measure the polarization in the corona with every pixel, everywhere in the corona, all the time.”

The project builds on research done in the 2017 Citizen CATE project, which explored the source and speed of plasma plumes and “pioneered this kind of experiment,” according to Caspi. He adds that “CATE 2024 evolves this into the next generation, where not only are we using the next generation of scientists, we’re also using the next generation of equipment,” innovations that were not available in 2017. Once the data is submitted, the science team will analyze it, inviting their volunteers to help process the data.

Volunteers range in age and expertise, from high schoolers to seasoned professionals. “We want to advance the state of science and the reach of science into communities that are not professional scientists, communities that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in astronomy,” says Caspi.

After the projects conclusion, participating communities will get to keep the research equipment as a resource, encouraging local engagement in professional-grade scientific experiments in the future.

“We can’t just be done after the day of the eclipse,” says Sarah Kovac, co-investigator of CATE 2024, who was motivated to pursue a PhD in astronomy after participating in the project in 2017. “We’re going to utilize these resources and stay engaged with these teams.”

The Eclipse Soundscapes Project

Though humans have devised methods to predict a total solar eclipse, animals and insects in nature are faced with a sudden onset of darkness. As skies dim, horses take cover , flying bald eagles change their speeds and honey bees slow their foraging .

Changes in animal and insect behavior during this cosmic event are not only seen—they’re also felt and heard. The Eclipse Soundscapes Project seeks to observe how the eclipse may disrupt diverse ecosystems by using all senses.

“Eclipses are often thought of as a visual event—something that you see,” says Kelsey Perrett, communications coordinator with the Eclipse Soundscapes Project, in a statement . “We want to show that eclipses can be studied in a multi-sensory manner, through sound and feeling and other forms of observation.”

Reports of animals behaving strangely during eclipses have persisted for hundreds of years. The Eclipse Soundscape Project is inspired by research conducted about a century ago, when a total solar eclipse journeyed over parts of the northeastern U.S. and Canada in 1932. Scientists collected observations from nearly 500 volunteers at the time. By incorporating modern technology, the Eclipse Soundscape Project hopes to repeat this crowdsourced experiment, measuring how animals—especially crickets—react to the eclipse.

The team invites as many people as possible to join the project, regardless of age, experience level or whether they are in the path of totality. One can participate as an “apprentice” by learning more about the event, as a “data analyst” by processing the data collected or as a “facilitator” by uniting and training community members. Those located along the path of totality can serve as “data collectors,” recording the sounds of the eclipse, or “observers,” logging their multi-sensory observations of surrounding nature as the sky darkens.

“When it comes down to it, answering our science questions about how eclipses impact life on Earth depends entirely on the data that people volunteer to contribute,” says Perrett in the statement. “The more audio data and observations we have, the better we can answer these questions.”

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Catherine Duncan | READ MORE

Catherine Duncan is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.

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Upcoming solar eclipse promises to be the best yet for scientific experiments

April’s  total solar eclipse  promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes — and cosmic chance.

The moon will be extra close to Earth, providing a long and intense period of darkness, and the sun should be more active with the potential for dramatic bursts of plasma. Then there’s totality’s densely populated corridor  stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada .

Hundreds if not thousands of the tens of millions of spectators will double as “citizen scientists,” helping NASA and other research groups better understand our planet and star.

They’ll photograph the sun’s outer crownlike atmosphere, or corona, as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blotting out sunlight for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds on April 8. They’ll observe the  quieting of birds and other animals  as midday darkness falls. They’ll also measure dropping temperatures, monitor clouds and use ham radios to gauge communication disruptions.

At the same time, rockets will blast off with science instruments into the electrically charged portion of the atmosphere near the edge of space known as the ionosphere. The small rockets will soar from Wallops Island, Virginia — some 400 miles outside totality but with 81% of the sun obscured in a partial eclipse. Similar launches were conducted from New Mexico during last October’s “ring of fire” solar eclipse that swept across the western U.S. and Central and South America.

“Time for the biggie! It is pretty exciting!!!” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Aroh Barjatya, the rockets’ mission director, said in an email.

NASA’s high-altitude jets also will take to the air again, chasing the moon’s shadow with improved telescopes to study the sun’s corona and surrounding dust.

“Dust sounds boring,” acknowledged NASA’s eclipse program manager Kelly Korreck. “But at the same time, dust is actually really interesting. Those are the leftover remnants from when the solar system was forming.”

More than 600 weather balloons will be launched by college students along the track, providing livestreams while studying atmospheric changes. Cloudy skies shouldn’t matter.

“Lucky for us, the balloons flying to 80,000 feet and above don’t care if it’s cloudy on the ground,” said Angela Des Jardins, an astrophysicist at Montana State University who’s coordinating the nationwide project.

And if the Federal Aviation Administration approves, a 21-foot (6.5-meter) kite will lift a science instrument three miles (5 kilometers) above Texas in an experiment by the University of Hawaii’s Shadia Habbal. She, too, wants to get above any clouds that might hamper her observations of the sun.

Normally hidden by the sun’s glare, the corona is on full display during a total solar eclipse, making it a prime research target. The spiky tendrils emanating thousands of miles (kilometers) into space are mystifyingly hotter than the sun’s surface — in the millions of degrees, versus thousands.

“In terms of the value of total eclipses, science still cannot explain how the corona is heated to such extreme temperatures,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, better known as Mr. Eclipse for all his charts and books on the subject.

The U.S. won’t see another total solar eclipse on this scale until 2045, so NASA and everyone else is pulling out all the stops.

April’s eclipse will begin in the Pacific and make landfall at Mazatlan, Mexico, heading up through Texas and 14 other U.S. states before crossing into Canada and exiting into the Atlantic at Newfoundland. Those outside the 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide) path, will get a partial eclipse.

Scientists got a taste of what’s to come during the 2017 total solar eclipse that stretched from Oregon to South Carolina. This time, the moon is closer to Earth, resulting in more minutes of darkness and a wider path.

“Any time we can observe for longer, that gives scientists more data,” Korreck said.

Another scientific bonus this time: The sun will be just a year away from its maximum solar activity, as opposed to 2017 when it was near its minimum. That means lots more action at the sun, possibly even a coronal mass ejection during the eclipse, with massive amounts of plasma and magnetic field blasted into space.

Plus there are two new spacecraft out there studying the sun: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency and NASA’s Solar Orbiter. They’ll join other spacecraft on eclipse duty, including the International Space Station and its astronauts.

Closer to home, April’s eclipse, unlike previous ones, will pass over three U.S. radar sites typically used for monitoring space weather. The stations will tune in to what’s happening in the upper atmosphere as the skies dim.

Solar Eclipses

Explore different types of solar eclipses by using your thumb to “eclipse” a partner’s face.

None needed.

Working with a partner, choose who will be “the Sun” and who will be “the Earth.” The Sun person’s head will represent the Sun in the sky; the Earth person’s thumb will represent the moon. 

Start by facing each other from 9 to 12 feet (3 to 4 m) away. (Click to enlarge photo below.)

Have the Earth person close one eye and extend a thumb (the moon) toward the Sun (their partner’s face). Where does the “moon” need to be in order to just barely block the face of the “Sun”? Partners may need to move closer together or farther apart so the thumb of the Earth person can “eclipse” the face (ears included) of the Sun person. When the moon just barely covers the Sun’s entire face, a total solar eclipse occurs. (Click to enlarge animated gif below.)

What happens when the moon is slightly farther away from Earth? Make a prediction, and then test it! Have the Earth person move to a place where the Sun person’s face is covered, but their ears and the top of their head are just visible. This is a model of an annular solar eclipse . 

What happens if the moon is too high? If it’s too low? Experiment and notice that there’s only one position in which the moon completely blocks the face of the Sun. When the moon blocks part, rather than all, of the Sun’s face, the result is a partial solar eclipse .

Have partners switch places and try these explorations again, so both have an opportunity to see these events happen.

In this Science Snack, you can experiment with models of total solar eclipses, annular solar eclipses, and partial solar eclipses, and see how they occur.

Though the Sun is much, much larger than the moon, and much farther away, from our point of view on Earth we see a total solar eclipse when the moon perfectly covers the faraway Sun. A total solar eclipse (click to enlarge photo below) can only occur when the moon—at its new-moon phase—comes between the earth and the Sun.

Total Solar Eclipse Photo Credit: NASA

The moon’s orbit is actually tilted 5 degrees with respect to the ecliptic , the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. (It’s called “the ecliptic” because this is where eclipses can happen when crossed by the moon.) The moon’s orbital tilt is why we don’t have solar eclipses during every new moon: The new moon is usually too high or too low to block out the Sun. 

In an annular eclipse, the moon is too far from Earth to entirely block the Sun. In this situation, the moon blocks out all but the Sun’s outer ring (click to enlarge photo below).

Annular Solar Eclipse Photo Credit: NASA

A partial eclipse occurs when the moon is not exactly aligned with the Sun, so it covers only a part of the Sun’s face (click to enlarge photo below).

Partial Solar Eclipse Photo Credit: NASA

This Science Snack is a short, simple introduction to the concept of solar eclipses. It’s accessible for younger learners and requires no special materials. 

When you’re done with this investigation, ask students to draw a model of the Sun, the earth’s orbit around the Sun, and the moon’s orbit around the earth. Ask them to predict where the moon would need to be in order to cast a shadow across the surface of the earth. This type of modeling helps learners build a conceptual understanding of eclipses.

Eclipse 101 from NASA

Related Snacks

NASA Science in the Shadows: Five Exciting Experiments for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

NASA is funding five diverse research projects to exploit the scientific opportunities presented by the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Using a mix of high-altitude cameras, spectrometers, ham radios, and citizen science, the projects aim to investigate the Sun’s corona, radio wave propagation during solar eclipses, solar radiation’s impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere, and the activity of solar “hot spots.” These studies will enhance our understanding of the Sun and its influence on Earth.

A total solar eclipse will darken a swath of North America as the Moon blocks the light of the Sun for a few minutes on April 8, 2024. In addition to casting a breathtaking, passing shadow over the heads of millions of people, this total solar eclipse gives scientists a unique opportunity to study the Sun, Earth, and their interactions.

NASA will fund five interdisciplinary science projects for the 2024 eclipse to make the most of this opportunity. The projects, which are led by researchers at different academic institutions, will study the Sun and its influence on Earth with a variety of instruments, including cameras aboard high-altitude research planes, ham radios, and more. Two of the projects also encourage participation from citizen scientists.

“Seven years after the last American total solar eclipse, we’re thrilled to announce the selection of five new projects that will study the 2024 eclipse,” said Peg Luce, acting director of the Heliophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We’re excited to see what these new experiments will uncover about our Sun and its impact on Earth.”

During total solar eclipses, the Moon perfectly blocks out the face of the Sun, allowing the Sun’s wispy outer atmosphere – called the corona – to be seen clearly.

“Scientists have long used solar eclipses to make scientific discoveries,” said Kelly Korreck, program scientist at NASA Headquarters. “They have helped us make the first detection of helium, have given us evidence for the theory of general relativity, and allowed us to better understand the Sun’s influence on Earth’s upper atmosphere.”

Chasing the Eclipse with NASA’s High-Altitude Research Planes

Using NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft, one project will capture images of the eclipse from an altitude of 50,000 feet above Earth’s surface. By taking these images above the majority of Earth’s atmosphere, the team hopes to be able to see new details of structures in the middle and lower corona. The observations, taken with a camera that images in infrared and visible light at high resolution and high speed, could also help study a dust ring around the Sun and search for asteroids that may orbit near the Sun. The project, led by Amir Caspi at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, builds on Caspi’s successful 2017 project with a new camera suite.

Airborne Imaging and Spectroscopic Observations of the Corona

NASA’s WB-57s will also fly cameras and spectrometers (which study the composition of light) to learn more about the temperature and chemical composition of the corona and coronal mass ejections, or large bursts of solar material. By flying along the eclipse path, they also hope to extend their time in the Moon’s shadow by over two minutes. The team hopes these observations will provide new insights into structures in the corona and the sources of the constant stream of particles emitted by the Sun, the solar wind. The team is led by Shadia Habbal of the University of Hawaii.

‘Listening Party’ for Amateur Radio Operators

In an upper region of our atmosphere, energy from the Sun knocks electrons out of atoms, making the region electrically charged, or “ionized.” This region, the ionosphere, can help radio communications travel long distances, such as those among amateur (or “ham”) radio operators around the world. However, when the Moon blocks the Sun during a solar eclipse, the ionosphere can change dramatically, affecting those communications.

During both the 2024 total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse this October , Nathaniel Frissell of The University of Scranton is inviting ham radio operators to participate in “ Solar Eclipse QSO Parties ,” when they will try to make as many radio contacts (“QSOs” in ham parlance) as they can with other operators in different locations. The radio operators will record how strong their signals are and how far they go to observe how the ionosphere changes during the eclipses. Similar experiments in the past have shown that changes in the ionosphere’s electron content due to solar eclipses have significant impacts on how radio waves travel.

Solar Radiation’s Effects on Earth’s Upper Atmosphere Layers

The darkest part of this eclipse’s shadow passes across several locations equipped with SuperDARN radars. The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network monitors space weather conditions in upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere, so the eclipse offers a unique opportunity to study the impact of solar radiation on upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse. A project led by Bharat Kunduri, of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, will use three SuperDARN radars to study the ionosphere during the eclipse. Kunduri’s team will compare the measurements to predictions from computer models to answer questions about how the ionosphere reacts to a solar eclipse.

Bringing the Sun’s Magnetic ‘Hot Spots’ Into Sharper Focus

During the upcoming eclipses, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Thangasamy Velusamy, educators at the Lewis Center for Education Research in Southern California, and participants in the center’s Solar Patrol citizen science program will observe solar “active regions” – the magnetically complex regions that form over sunspots – as the Moon moves over them. The Moon’s gradual passage across the Sun blocks different portions of the active region at different times, allowing scientists to distinguish light signals coming from one portion versus another. The team will use the 34-meter Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) to measure subtle changes to the radio emissions from active regions during both the 2023 annular and 2024 total eclipses. The technique, first used during the May 2012 annular eclipses, revealed details on the Sun the telescope couldn’t otherwise detect.

Science Fun

Solar Eclipse Kit

• yellow tissue paper

Instructions

• Cut a window at each end of your shoebox and then cut a slit across the width (or top) of the box lid.
• Cut out a square of black card small enough to slide into the slit in the box.
• Cut out a circle from the middle of the card and stick yellow tissue paper over the hole.
• Stick the toothpick to the black card circle (you will use this as your Moon).
• Slide the square of black card into the slot on the box and hold the box up to the light. Look through it to see your Sun.

VIDEO COMING SOON BUT YOU CAN STILL ENJOY THESE AWESOME EXPERIMENTS!

How does it work?

When you look through the box’s window you will see the example of our sun shining brightly. However, when you start to slowly lower the blank card circle or moon into the silt of the box, you will slowly see our sun disappear and create an eclipse. *Note: This experiment is not to be used to look at the actual sun. Looking directly at the sun can be harmful.

Further Experiments

• Use different types of light, a flashlight, daylight, tv light. How does different types of light affect the experiment?
• What if our sun was a blue star or a red star or even a a purple star? Use different colored tissue paper to see how that would change the way we see an eclipse.

EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS!

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Eclipse experiments: How to turn the 2024 solar eclipse into a fun science lesson

The first total solar eclipse of 2024  is in April and it will be the  only solar eclipse this year that will have a path of totality stretching across the U.S.  It’s been nicknamed “The Great North American Eclipse.”

Florida isn’t in the path of totality,  but  depending on where you are in the state , you might be able to see a little over half of the sun being covered by the moon.

Although your location has everything to do with how well you’ll be able to see the eclipse , it isn’t the only thing that determines what you see on eclipse day. And  eclipse glasses aren't the only accessory  that you'll need to experience this natural phenomenon to the fullest.

Did you know that what color you choose to wear can enhance your eclipse viewing experience?

If you’re planning on watching the eclipse with friends and family, tell them to wear red or green and see what happens.

Here’s the science behind why and how our eyes see colors differently in low light and some fun eclipse experiments you can do on April 8.

What are the differences between rod and cone cells?

Understanding how to experiment with color during an eclipse requires a quick anatomy and physiology lesson.

You might remember from a high school anatomy class that there are two kinds of photoreceptors in your eyes: rods and cones.

More simply put, photoreceptors are nerves that take in light and tell your brain what you’re seeing.

There are 6 million to 7 million cones, or cone cells, in your eyes that help you see colors clearly in well-lit scenarios, like in regular daylight. Cones are mostly concentrated in one place in the back of your eye (the retina). When your cones are in charge, it’s called photopic vision.

Psychology and vision studies of how human eyes perceive color have found that cone cells don’t function properly in low lighting, so that’s when the other photoreceptors in your eyes (the rods, or rod cells) take over. There are around 120 million rods in your eyes that are in a different place within your eye, in the periphery. And their location makes them better for seeing in dim light.

Although rod cells allow you to see in low light, they aren’t very sharp when it comes to helping your brain process colors. When your rods are in charge, it’s called scotopic vision.

Rods are one thousand times more sensitive to light than cones. Since rods don’t process color the way cones do, they are responsible for a different job: telling your brain how bright it is and adjusting your vision accordingly. 

Mesopic vision is what happens in the in-between. This is when your rods and cones work together since it’s the transitional stage between photopic and scotopic vision.

What do you see during a solar eclipse?

Here’s what all this eyeball science has to do with a solar eclipse.

There’s a four- to five-minute window of time before an eclipse reaches totality, when your eyes are functioning in the in-between zone (the mesopic vision zone).

During the mesopic vision zone of an eclipse, your surroundings may look grayish and lack color. It's most noticeable with warm colors, like red or orange.

But remember, when your rods take over in dim lighting, your eyes still pick up green and blue hues. 

This natural phenomenon of how our eyes respond to specific colors with a change in lighting even has a cool name. It’s called the Purkinje effect, named for 18th century Czech experimental physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkinje who found that the perceived vibrancy of red objects fade faster than blue objects of the same brightness.

Green, specifically, will look very bright against the dim surroundings as the moon covers the sun. 

If you want to experiment with color and optical science this eclipse, have one of your friends or family wear green and dress yourself in something red (or vice versa). You can compare how the red clothing seems to fade to a shade of gray as the green clothing seems to get brighter.

Remember not to look directly at the sun without special eclipse glasses or special lenses on your camera, phone camera, binoculars or telescope. We won't see full totality anywhere in Florida so there will be no point when it will be safe to look at the solar eclipse with the naked eye.

Protect your eyes: Warby Parker offering free eclipse glasses. Here's when and where to get them in Florida

How to make a DIY eclipse viewer

If you don’t have special glasses for viewing the eclipse, you can make a pinhole projector to see it.

According to Time and Date , “The simplest and quickest way to safely project the Sun is with a projector made from only 2 pieces of card or paper.”

Supplies you’ll need:

• Two pieces of stiff white cardboard (two paper plates will work) … alternatively, two sheets of plain white paper
• A thumbtack, a sharp pin or a needle

To make a quick and easy pinhole projector, all you need to do is puncture a hole in one of your pieces of cardboard or paper and hold it above your shoulder with your back to the sun. If you have a friend hold the second piece of cardboard or paper at a distance, you can see the shape of the sun projected onto the second piece of cardboard.

To see a more detailed explanation and visual of how to make a quick and easy pinhole projector for the eclipse, visit timeanddate.com.

What is the NASA citizen science program?

You can even become a NASA scientist (not really, but kind of) by participating in any of NASA’s citizen science projects for the eclipse.

“NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries…” NASA’s citizen science projects webpage says.

“NASA citizen science projects are open to everyone around the world, not limited to U.S. citizens or residents.”

NASA citizen science projects for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse

NASA has more than 10 citizen science projects related to the sun or the upcoming eclipse.

Some of them require you to buy or already own hundreds of dollars worth of antenna parts and a telescope kit, but some are as simple as using an app during the eclipse.

Here are some of the most simple citizen projects NASA is conducting for the upcoming eclipse:

• Download the SunSketcher app and use your phone to help measure the exact shape and size of the Sun by photographing an eclipse phenomenon called Baily’s Beads.
• Use GLOBE Observer, the app of The GLOBE Program , and a thermometer to measure air temperature changes and monitor the clouds during the eclipse.
• How does wildlife respond to a solar eclipse? Record sounds before, during, and after an eclipse to find out and join The Eclipse Soundscapes Project, a citizen science project that is studying how eclipses affect life on Earth during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. Eclipse Soundscapes will revisit an eclipse study from almost 100 years ago that showed that animals and insects are affected by solar eclipses and compare the results from then and now.

Will the 2024 eclipse be visible in Florida?

Florida isn’t in the direct path of the total eclipse.

The path of totality of the Great North American Eclipse will start between New Zealand and Mexico in the South Pacific Ocean, pass from Mexico, through Texas, skim Oklahoma and travel northeast (diagonally) across the country. The path of totality will cross the New England region of the U.S. and then a portion of Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean near the French and Spanish coasts.

While we're not in the path of totality, we'll still be able to see some of it from Florida. From just over half of the sun to over 3/4 of it will be obscured by the moon from our angle, depending on where you are in the state.

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How to Make a Simple Eclipse Model

April 8, 2024 By Emma Vanstone Leave a Comment

This simple science project shows you how to make a model of an eclipse to visually demonstrate what’s happening between the Sun, Earth and Moon during a solar or lunar eclipse.

A solar eclipse model is a fantastic science project for home and school, especially just before or after an eclipse!

You’ve probably noticed shadows on Earth. Shadows form when the sun shines on an object, but did you know planetary bodies also cast shadows in space?

What’s the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. The Earth’s shadow has two parts. The umbra is the central part of the shadow and is darker than the outer penumbra. A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon travels into the umbral shadow, which turns the Moon a reddish brown colour. Lunar eclipses happen around every 2.5 years and last a few hours as the Earth’s shadow is so large.

A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s light. The Sun is 400 times wider than the Moon and 400 times farther away, which is why they appear the same size in the sky.

The moon’s shadow also consists of an umbra and penumbra. People in the path of the umbral shadow see a total eclipse, but not for very long.

Make an eclipse model

This is a very basic model that shows the path of the shadows in a lunar and solar eclipse. Our moon is smaller than the Earth model, but the relative sizes are inaccurate.

Note that this is a simplified model that also does not show that the moon’s orbit is tilted relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The moon’s tilted orbit means it often passes above or below the Earth and so does not cross directly through the path between the Earth and the Sun.

You’ll need

Two skewers

Two foam balls of different sizes or paper mache balls

Play dough or other stand.

Torch or lamp

Place the larger ball on one skewer and decorate it to look like the Earth.

Attach the smaller ball to the second skewer and paint it grey to look like the moon.

Place the bottom end of the skewer in a ball of playdough so each stands freely.

Place a lamp or torch behind the model of the Earth and place the moon model in between. Move the Moon around the Earth and watch how the shadows change.

Solar Eclipse

The moon passing in between the Sun and Earth demonstrates a solar eclipse. People on Earth in the shadow of the moon will see the eclipse.

Why don’t we have a solar eclipse every month?

We don’t have an eclipse every month because the moon’s orbit is tilted relative to the Earth’s orbit around the sun. This means it often passes above or below the Earth and so does not pass directly in between the Sun and Earth.

Lunar Eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. The image below shows the Earth’s shadow on the moon’s surface. People on Earth see a red hue around the moon.

The moon looks red during an eclipse because the only light that reaches it has passed through the Earth’s atmosphere. Only red wavelengths of light are refracted towards the moon. Shorter wavelengths of light are scattered.

What would the Earth look like from the Moon during a lunar eclipse?

If you were on the moon in the path of the Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse, you’d see a red ring around the Earth as the Earth blocked out light from the Sun.

Learn more about solar and lunar eclipses with my collection of solar eclipse resources .

For more fun space science activities, check out my book  This Is Rocket Science .

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Last Updated on April 8, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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4 ways you can help NASA study the April 8 solar eclipse

From observing how the sun works to how animals react to darkness in the daytime, here are 4 simple, NASA-funded science projects you can contribute to during the April 8 total solar eclipse.

More than 32 million people in the U.S. alone are destined to be under the moon's central shadow during the total solar eclipse on April 8 , and NASA is funding a suite of citizen science projects so the American public can help study the rare celestial event. This is a unique opportunity for scientists to study the effects of a solar eclipse on Earth, which won't be repeated on the same scale in North America until there are twin total solar eclipses in 2044 and 2045.

From monitoring strange animal reactions to measuring the shape of the sun, here are four simple citizen science projects that you can get involved with on April 8.

1. Record animal reactions with Eclipse Soundscapes

Although totality is the only time it's possible to see the sun's corona with the naked eye — and you'll need to wear a pair of certified solar eclipse glasses during all partial phases of the eclipse, no matter where you're watching from — a total solar eclipse is a multi-sensory experience.

The Eclipse Soundscapes Project aims to capture the sounds of animals, birds and insects during the eclipse to study how life on Earth reacts to totality. Participants can use an AudioMoth recording device to capture sounds in the environment and help researchers answer one key question: Do nocturnal and diurnal animals act differently or become more or less vocal during a total solar eclipse? The project builds on similar studies conducted during total solar eclipses in 1932 and 2017.

Related: 6 zoos on the path of the eclipse — and why animals react strangely to 'nighttime during the day'

2. Watch for vanishing clouds with GLOBE Eclipse

There's a lot of talk about the potential for bad weather during the upcoming total solar eclipse but very little about how the arrival of the moon's shadow can reduce the temperature and cause clouds to change and even disappear. For this experiment, participants inside and outside the path of totality are asked to record changes in cloud cover and temperature before, during and after the eclipse using the GLOBE Observer app . The findings could contribute to the scientific understanding of eclipse phenomena and their impact on weather patterns.

3. Discover the shape of the sun with SunSketcher

Just before totality begins, the last drops of sunlight visible around the trailing edge of the moon are called Baily's beads. These are caused when sunlight shines through the valleys and mountains of the moon, revealing its topography. That's already known to astronomers thanks to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. What isn't known is the detailed shape of the solar disk. A free smartphone app, SunSketcher , will crowdsource the capture of the precise timing of Baily's beads, which will, in turn, define the exact size and shape of the sun. Observers — who must be in the path of totality — need to have the app running and aim a smartphone camera roughly toward the sun a few minutes before totality. The upload is automatic.

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Note: DO NOT look directly at the sun without proper eyewear while setting up your camera. Read our guide on how to safely record the eclipse with your phone for more information.

4. Capture solar explosions with Eclipse Megamovie 2024

— April 8 solar eclipse: 4 telescopes and observatories where you can watch totality

— These eclipse-themed places will experience totality on April 8, 2024

— Total solar eclipse April 2024: The 10 biggest cities within the path of totality

The sun hurls jets of plasma into space all the time, but solar physicists don't know how much of the sun's mass is leaving the sun. Figuring this out requires images of the lower corona, which can only be taken during a total solar eclipse. For the Eclipse Megamovie 2024 project, about 100 trained volunteers, each using a camera and a tripod, will take more than 1,000 images between them from across the path of totality. However, in a re-run of how the same experiment worked in 2017, the project will also recruit casual "eclipse observers" who want to contribute their images. All you need is the right type of camera, tripod and the lens described here .

Remember, no matter where you are, and no matter how you choose to be a citizen scientist during the eclipse, make safety your first priority. Never stare at the sun with the unaided eye , EXCEPT during the brief moment of totality. Stay safe, stay curious, and enjoy one of nature's greatest wonders.

Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, U.K. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine and Scientific American, and many others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com .

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March 27, 2024

Solar Eclipse Experiment Will Fly a Kite to Avoid Cloudy Skies

A kite-borne experiment will observe the sun’s mysterious corona during the upcoming total solar eclipse

By Anavi Uppal

The 2017 total solar eclipse, photographed by the Solar Wind Sherpas. Red corresponds to light from Fe XI and green corresponds to light from Fe XIV.

Miloslav Druckmüller, Shadia Habbal, Pavel Starha, Judd Johnson, Jana Hoderová

This article is part of a special report on the total solar eclipse that will be visible from parts of the U.S., Mexico and Canada on April 8, 2024.

Shadia Habbal has gone to the ends of the Earth for science. The University of Hawaii astronomer leads a group of researchers called the Solar Wind Sherpas. These scientists have traveled around the world to observe 18 total solar eclipses since 1995—including in the Arctic and Antarctica. Each trip has involved two years of preparation for a few precious minutes of standing in the moon’s shadow, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun’s corona —the feathery outer solar atmosphere that is usually outshined by our star’s light.

Yet more than a third of the eclipses the Sherpas traveled to have been clouded out. In 2021 the group trekked all the way to Antarctica and didn’t see any part of the total eclipse. That was “a brutal, heart-wrenching, miserable experience,” says Sage Constantinou, an astronomy graduate student at the University of Hawaii and a member of the Sherpas.

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The team will have another chance during the upcoming total solar eclipse over North America on April 8. And this time they have an unconventional plan for getting around the clouds. The scientists will launch a massive kite loaded with instruments two miles high into the sky, hopefully above any eclipse-obstructing clouds. The project will be the first to use a kite for solar eclipse observations. If it works, it will allow a view of the corona even if the skies are cloudy.

Earth constantly feels the effects of the solar corona. The sun produces a solar wind—a constant stream of protons and electrons that flow from the corona—and sometimes sends out massive “burps” of particles called coronal mass ejections. These particles can hit Earth and cause disruptions that range from beautiful auroras to damaged satellites. Astronomers such as Habbal want to know exactly how this solar wind forms in the corona, and a total solar eclipse is the best way to study the corona’s full extent.

The April eclipse will be especially spectacular because the sun is ramping up to the maximum point in its 11-year activity cycle, expected to occur in mid- to late 2024. During solar maximum, the corona becomes hotter and more complicated, with its usual two-lobed structure splitting into spiky flower petals.

Members of the Solar Wind Sherpas test their kite on a 600-meter-long tether during the April 2023 total solar eclipse in Australia.

Credit: Shadia Habbal

During the upcoming eclipse, the Sherpas will fly their instruments on a kite with an impressive 4,000-meter-long tether, which will allow it to soar above most mid- and low-level clouds. The red, yellow and blue kite is about as large as a two-car garage. Below it will dangle a giant hip-flask-shaped container holding a spectrometer, an instrument that can detect different wavelengths of light emitted by the sun’s corona. The container is crowned by a helmetlike solar tracking device that houses two cameras—one with a dark solar filter for before the total eclipse and an unfiltered one that will be used during totality. The cameras automatically point at the sun by searching for the brightest location in the sky.

The Sherpas tested a shorter, 600-meter-long version of their kite during the April 2023 total solar eclipse in Australia. They were able to collect data on the eclipse, but their solar tracker failed to keep the sun fully centered. This created multiple overlapping spectra of the sun that were difficult to interpret. The researchers have since worked to improve their tracker. For the April 2024 eclipse, they will use the full-length tether with the goal of proving that a kite is a relatively low-cost way to study solar eclipses from above the influence of most clouds. Their kite setup cost about $160,000 to develop, whereas the alternative—a specially modified NASA plane—costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to use each time.

The team designs and fabricates all of its scientific equipment. Constantinou’s office features a drill press, two 3D printers and a blacksmithing forge under his desk. “This is one of my favorite things about this group,” he says. “When you come up with some idea for an instrument design, instead of having to go to the shop and have them design it, I can just make it.”

The Sherpas mainly use their spectrometers and cameras to look at bright emission lines from different types of iron in the sun. The star’s extreme heat energizes its gas atoms and slams them together, causing them to lose electrons. This process produces bright emission lines that scientists measure to determine the temperature of different parts of the solar atmosphere.

The 2006 eclipse in Libya was one of Habbal’s favorites—during the last 40 seconds of totality, she captured the world’s first photograph of the corona in the Fe XI emission band, which is the light from iron atoms that have lost 10 electrons and corresponds to a temperature of roughly two million degrees Fahrenheit. Habbal’s images in Fe XI revealed previously unseen features and provided a new way of looking at the sun, says Giulio Del Zanna, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, who is not part of the Sherpas.

For the April 2024 eclipse, the Sherpas have chosen to go to areas of Arkansas, Texas and Mexico because they are predicted to have low cloud cover. “Months before the eclipse, I always have eclipse nightmares,” Habbal says. “Like, either we went to the wrong place or we didn’t have things ready in time.” She has spent sleepless nights worrying about problems with the kite. “But we shouldn't shy away from doing things that are out of the norm or thinking outside the box as scientists,” Habbal adds.

How to recreate a solar eclipse

You don't have to wait for the next solar eclipse to learn more about them, not when you can just make your own!

Have you ever seen a solar eclipse? In this project, we are going to see why solar eclipses happen and see different types of solar eclipses . 

You will need: 

• A large ball (1 to 3 feet (30 to 60 cm) in diameter, like a basketball), a projected image of the sun, or a large circle 
• 1 or 2-inch (2.5 to 5cm) ball (a foam ball works well) 
• A pencil (optional)

Have you ever stood in the shadow of a tree or building? In these cases, the tree or the building is blocking the sun. What would happen if the moon blocked the sun? This is called a solar eclipse! During a solar eclipse, we are essentially in the shadow of the moon .

Related: Learn about Space with these awesome NASA education videos

In this project, the large ball is the sun and the small ball is the moon . Have someone hold up the large ball or circle (the sun). Then hold up your smaller ball (the moon) in front of the larger ball. (If you have a foam ball, you can insert the pencil to help you hold it up.) 

Now, experiment! Does your moon completely cover the sun? If you are far away, your moon appears larger to you than the sun, even though the sun is actually much larger. This is because the sun is much farther away. If you hold up your moon to this distant sun, your moon will cover up all of the sun (and then some)! 

Move closer while your moon is in front of your sun. Can you move close enough that a ring of the sun forms around the outside of your moon? Your sun now looks larger to you than your moon. An eclipse like this is called an annular eclipse.

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Try to find that just-right distance where the moon and the sun look exactly the same size to you, and where the moon covers the sun — but just barely. This "perfectly-sized" eclipse is what happens when a total solar eclipse occurs. 

The moon and the sun look the same size to us on Earth . The sun is much, much bigger, but the moon is a lot closer. This is a beautiful coincidence and it gives us an amazing chance to see a total solar eclipse and the outer atmosphere of the sun known as the corona , which is normally overwhelmed by the sun's brightness.

Earth's orbit, however, is not perfectly circular, and sometimes the moon looks just a tiny bit smaller than the sun. When an eclipse happens in this case, we may see a ring around the moon when it is in front of the sun. This is an annular eclipse, also known as a "ring of fire" solar eclipse.

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Now, move the moon across the sun to see the slow progression of your eclipse. What kind of shape does the sun look like during different portions of your eclipse? Move the moon up and down. What happens when the moon covers only part of the sun? Can you make your moon high or low enough that it completely misses covering up the sun? Most times, the moon is not perfectly aligned with the Earth and the sun. When this happens, the shadow of the moon does not fall on the Earth, and we do not see an eclipse!  

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Elizabeth is a freelance science writer. She has a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked with telescopes all around the world and in space. Now she writes on astronomy, physics, geology, mathematics, and science and technology in society. 

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Classroom Activity

Model a solar eclipse.

Students use simple materials to model the basics of a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse.

Large (1-3 feet in diameter) yellow circle or ball to represent the Sun OR a projected image of the Sun

1-inch or 2-inch foam balls OR any small balls, one per student

Pencils, one per student

• The relative sizes of the yellow circle or ball and the foam balls can vary depending on the size of the room and number of students.
• If foam balls are not available, any spherical substitute will work, including aluminum foil balls.
• For young students, insert pencils into the foam balls before distributing them.
• For older students, introduce the lesson by asking students if anyone has ever seen a lunar or solar eclipse. Ask them what causes eclipses. Then, start the lesson at Step 8 below.
• Important safety note! Remind students that they should never look directly at the Sun as it could damage their eyes.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, fully or partially blocking the Sun's light from our perspective. Because Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the Moon’s orbit around Earth are not perfect circles, the distances between them change throughout their orbits. During a total eclipse, the distances are such that the Moon covers all of the Sun's disk area.

When the Moon is farther from Earth during an eclipse, it leaves a glowing ring of sunlight shining around the Moon, resulting in an annular eclipse.

Photos of an annular total solar eclipse (left) and a total solar eclipse (right). Credits: Left, Annular Eclipse: Stefan Seip (Oct 3, 2005). Right, Total Eclipse, NASA/Aubrey Gemignani (August 21, 2017) | + Expand image

Sometimes the Moon blocks only a portion of the Sun, creating a partial eclipse that appears like a bite has been taken out of the Sun’s disk.

The Sun appears partially eclipsed in this series of photos taken from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 21, 2017. Credit: NASA/Noah Moran | + Expand image

• Ask students for their prior knowledge about the Moon and eclipses.

Step 2. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• Ask students if they’ve ever used anything else to block sunlight. Depending on their answers, ask if they’ve ever used a visor or ducked behind a tree or building to find shade.

Step 4. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Step 5. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• Ask students what objects they have seen in the sky during the day or at night. Accept all reasonable answers.
• Ask students if any of those objects would be able to block the Sun. If available, hold up toy examples of objects that they’ve named, such as an airplane or bird. If they haven’t already mentioned the Moon, ask if the Moon might be able to block the Sun.
• Distribute the foam balls and pencils, instructing the students to insert their pencil into their foam ball. Explain that the foam ball represents the Moon.
• Does the Moon block the Sun entirely?
• If not, what do they need to do to fully block the Sun?
• Have students stand up and form a circle or semicircle around the Sun. Have them move closer to or farther from the Sun and change the distance between the Moon and their head as needed so that the Moon will block the Sun.
• Discuss with students what happens when the Moon partially and fully blocks the Sun. What do we see from Earth? Explain that we call it a solar eclipse when the Moon blocks either all or part of the Sun.
• Explain to students that their head represents Earth in this model. Show students how the Moon orbits Earth, and have them practice orbiting. Note: the Moon orbits Earth in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from above the north pole.

Step 13. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Step 14. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Step 15. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Step 16. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• What do we see from our perspective on Earth during a total, partial, or annular solar eclipse?
• Students should be able to model a partial, annular, and total eclipse.
• Set up a light to represent the Sun, similar to the setup for the Moon Phases lesson. Have students model a total solar eclipse with this setup.
• Have students model a lunar eclipse – when Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon.
• Check for future eclipses and learn how to safely observe a solar eclipse . Note that this involves either setting up a pinhole camera or securing a class set of eclipse glasses.

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Eclipse lessons

Explore a collection of standards-aligned lessons all about lunar and solar eclipses.

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Moon lessons

Explore a collection of standards-aligned lessons all about the Moon.

Eclipse projects

Explore a collection of student projects all about lunar and solar eclipses.

Moon projects

Explore a collection of student projects all about the Moon.

NASA's Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute , working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC , Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian , and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory .

--> Gilla: Dela: 1 flashlight Short explanation Long explanation. What happens to solar eclipses if the Moon's distance to Earth changes? What happens to solar eclipses if the Moon's size changes? What happens to solar eclipses if the Sun's size changes? Gilla: Dela: Moon in a box Rotating Earth Screaming dry ice Dry ice in a balloon Special: Dry ice color change Dry ice smoking soap bubble snake Dry ice giant crystal ball bubble Dry ice in water Rainbow milk Gummy bear osmosis Floating ping pong ball Special: Colored fire Special: Fire bubbles Water cycle in a jar Egg drop challenge Taking the pulse Orange candle Glass bottle xylophone Warped spacetime Homemade rainbow Water implosion Warm and cold plates Plastic bag kite Tamed lightning Yeast and a balloon Forever boiling bottle Moon on a pen Inexhaustible bottle Crystal egg geode Magic ice cut Leaf pigments chromatography Heavy smoke Popsicle stick bridge Micrometeorites Special: Fire tornado Special: Whoosh bottle Dancing water marbles Brownian motion Flying static ring Water thermometer String telephone Special: Dust explosion Disappearing styrofoam Special: Burning money Special: Burning towel Salt water purifier Fish dissection Hovering soap bubble Homemade sailboat Water mass meeting Plastic bag and pencils Water sucking bottle Water sucking glass Mentos and coke Aristotle's illusion Spinning spiral snake Imploding soda can Carbon dioxide extuingisher Plastic bag parachute Dental impression Impact craters Rolling static soda can Static paper ghost Color changing flower Upside down glass Shrinking chip bag Solar system model Strawberry DNA Electric motor Flashy electric motor Bouncing soap bubbles Toilet paper roll maraca Cloud in a bottle 1 Cloud in a bottle 2 Balloon rocket Water whistle Homemade yogurt Special: Screaming gummy bear Homemade compass Trash airplane Wind-up spinner toy Tea bag rocket Balancing soda can Lung volume test Fireproof balloon Baking powder popper Expanding space Straw propeller Wooden cutlery Levitating match Human reflexes Electromagnet Soil layers Straw potato Straw rocket launcher Traveling flame Water bowls Straw duck call Solar eclipse Silo of salt Balloon skewer Newspaper tower Microwave light bulb Heavy paper Rubber chicken bone Homemade marble run Drops on a coin Cartesian diver Content of website. 10 Solar Eclipse Activities for Kids What is a Solar Eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and creates a shadow with the sun’s light. Three things have to be true to make solar eclipses occur: 1) There is a new moon which means the side of the moon lit by the sun is facing away from the earth. 2) The moon has to cross the path of the earth’s orbit. And 3) The moon’s location in its orbit must be in its closest position to the earth possible. Here’s a diagram of what’s happening during an eclipse. A total eclipse is when the sun is completely blocked by the moon. The path of totality is the area on earth where the full shadow occurs. Want to see if you’ll get to see the total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024? Here are some amazing maps of the US from NASA that show the path . Since solar eclipses don’t happen that often, it’s fun to do an activity to celebrate and learn about the phenomenon. Here are some of my favorites. How to Make Sure You Are Going to See the Solar Eclipse : It’s going to be awesome! And you don’t want to miss it. Check out these tips for making sure you are read and see as much of the eclipse as possible! Printable Constellation Cards & Projector : During the eclipse, it will be so dark you can see the stars. Study up on your favorite constellations before the big event then see if you can spot them in the darkened sky! Total Solar Eclipse Painted Paper Plates : This is a fun, quick craft you can do with the craft stash you have at home. Talk with your kids about how the moon and sun will seem like the same size while the moon passes in front of the sun for the few minutes we are able to see it! How to get kids ready for, and excited about, the Great American Eclipse : There are so many things to do to prepare for the total American eclipse. This is the first time in 99 years that the eclipse will be seen from coast to coast! Make a Pinhole Viewing Box to Safely Watch the Solar Eclipse : It’s never a good idea to look directly at the sun. Making a pinhole box is a great way to view the solar eclipse while keeping your eyes safe. More Solar Eclipse Activity Ideas Solar Eclipse Craft for Kids : I love how easy it is to make this craft! Talk about the rotation of the moon around the Earth and how the sun will look during the total eclipse. STEM Activity: Build a Pinhole Projector!: I do love a good DIY project! Grab a box from your recycling bin and make a projector to be able to see the sun safely. Coffee Filter Solar Eclipse Craft : Coffee filters get a new twist! Make a solar eclipse craft during your study of the solar system and be ready to see the eclipse in real time. How to Make a Pinhole Camera : If anyone is going to know about making a pinhole camera it’s going to be NASA! Make your own in just a couple minutes for your next study of the sun. Making a Pinhole Solar Eclipse Viewer : DIY and recycled viewers are so much fun for kids to make! Be sure to impress the importance of not looking at the sun to your kids when you venture outside on August 21st! Astronomy for Kids: The Sun, Moon, and Earth: Make a model of the eclipse with a few balls and a flashlight for a fun activity even the littles can understand. Eclipse Safety As you’ve probably heard, it can be really hazardous to your eyes to look at the sun and the eclipse directly. So always protect them with special glasses or use viewers to indirectly see the eclipse. These glasses are certified ISO and CE certified to be sun safe . Space Activities for Curious Kids Make some gorgeous planets with a fun art process called felting in these Felted Ball Planets . Look up at the Moon and then have fun with it closer to the Earth with one of these 10+ Fun Play and Learn Moon Activities . Try a creative screen-free coding activity to inspire your young astronauts, too. Simply fill out the form below to have the Astronaut Color by Coding printable emailed to you. FREE! ASTRONAUT COLOR BY CODING PRINTABLE Hands-on Space STEAM Fun for Kids Join us as we explore SPACE with STEAM Explorers !! Kids will love making a DIY telescope, crafting a solar system, making the Earth orbit and rockets fly, and so much more! You'll love the helpful standards-based learning, printables, and tools that make STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, & math) exploration easy! What's Inside the Space Ebook Unit Study by STEAM Explorers: Inside every STEAM Explorers ebook are: Projects:   Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects Printables:   Fun printables for independent learning and fun Recipes:   Delicious recipes that have a learning spin Learning:   Interesting reading that helps kids learn about our planet on every page Activity Calendar:   A helpful calendar to make adding STEAM to your day simple and fun. Supplies List:   A handy supplies list for the month that makes prep easy. BONUS!   A coupon to save 25% on a monthly STEAM Explorers subscription. That's where you'll find a kid-safe online portal filled with helpful activity videos, teacher lesson plans, and more. 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Projector Printable Only have a few minutes to whip something up to view the eclipse? Try this free Printable Eclipse Projector. 2 thoughts on “10 Solar Eclipse Activities for Kids” Pingback: Ultimate List of Solar Eclipse Resources for Kids {printables, unit studies, crafts, food, and more!} Pingback: Solar System/Space Unit – Magical Imaginations Comments are closed. GET A FREE STEAM ACTIVITY PACK! Get a FREE! rainbow-inspired STEAM activity ebook filled with hands-on projects, printables, and recipes. Enter your info to have it emailed to you. It's a $25 value! 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Preguntas frecuentes: estado del retorno de la prueba de vuelo tripulado boeing de la nasa. Astronauta de la NASA Frank Rubio Diez maneras en que los estudiantes pueden prepararse para ser astronautas Nasa releases new solar eclipse educational materials. Abbey Interrante To help learners of all ages understand how to safely observe the Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse and the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse , NASA has released a new set of resources for educators. My NASA Data, in collaboration with the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT), has released a new set of resources for educators centered around solar eclipses. My NASA Data allows students in grades 3 through 12 and their teachers to analyze and interpret NASA mission data. It also supports educators in the integration of authentic Earth systems data into their instruction. The My NASA Data solar eclipse resources include lesson plans, mini-lessons (shorter activities for quick engagement), student-facing web-based interactives, and a longer “story map,” which deepens the investigation of the phenomenon over multiple class periods. Engage learners with data collected during past solar eclipses, including maps and visualizations, and how data is used to predict future solar eclipses. Learners can analyze NASA mission data from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) , the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) , and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) missions. The Sun’s energy interacts with all of Earth’s systems. The Sun produces a constant stream of particles called the solar wind, which flows outward from the Sun in all directions, interacting with our planet and others, and creating the heliosphere, which encompasses and protects our solar system. Total solar eclipses provide rare opportunities for scientists to observe the Sun’s corona (outer atmosphere), where the solar wind originates. These observations help scientists predict space weather events that may impact human and robotic space exploration, and affect the technology on Earth that humans rely on every day. Learn more about the solar wind and how space weather affects Earth by exploring NASA HEAT’s educational resources at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/heat/home/ . NASA conducts many experiments during solar eclipses, including monitoring atmospheric conditions, such as changes in air temperatures and clouds, and recording animal sounds. Learners can collect their own data on cloud and temperature observations during the upcoming solar eclipses with the GLOBE Observer Eclipse tool. My NASA Data is part of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Mission Earth, an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Find all My NASA Data solar eclipse resources here: https://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/phenomenon/solar-eclipse Learn more about these upcoming solar eclipses and more about eclipses at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/home/ My NASA Data, part of GLOBE Mission Earth, and the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT) are part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio . By  Christina Milotte NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, Md. Looking Back on Looking Up: The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Introduction First as a bite, then a half Moon, until crescent-shaped shadows dance through the leaves and the temperature begins to drop – a total solar eclipse can be felt growing in the atmosphere. As the sky darkens in the few minutes before totality, the sounds of animals begin to dissipate along with the vibrancy of red and orange hues, and we enter the mesopic zone, or twilight vision. All is quiet in these cold, silvery-blue moments, until the Moon lines up perfectly with the Sun from our viewpoint on Earth – an odd quirk of the Moon–Earth system, and an occurrence that does not exist elsewhere in the solar system. Millions of people gazed up at the sky on April 8, 2024, as a total solar eclipse darkened the skies across a thin ribbon of North America – spanning Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada – see Figure 1 . A pearly, iridescent halo lined the perimeter of the Moon as it crossed in front of the Sun, revealing the Sun’s corona – see Photo 1 . Solar prominences – bright features made of plasma flowing outwards through tangled structures of magnetic fields along the Sun’s surface – were observable as reddish-pink dots rising from the edges of the eclipsed Sun – see Photo 2 . Snapshots of NASA Science Outreach Along the Path of Totality Over 400 NASA staff took up positions along the path of totality, hosting various events to engage the public in outreach activities spanning the scope of NASA Science. NASA staff hosted 14 “SunSpot” locations across 7 states (Texas, Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maine), including 224 NASA engagement and Science Activation events. As an example, Zoe Jenkins [NASA Headquarters/Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) Federal— Graphic Designer ] was stationed in Maine to view the eclipse –see Photos 3–4 . More information about events at these SunSpots is available at the eclipse website . The Science Activation Program furthered NASA’s message, reaching all 50 states through public events by sharing information and providing professional development programming for educators. (To learn more about NASA's Science Activation Program, see NASA Earth Science and Education Update: Introducing the Science Activation Program , The Earth Observer , 35:6 , 6–12.) Among the SunSpot locations across the path of totality, NASA’s Science Support Office (SSO) staffed events at two of them: in Cleveland, OH and Kerrville, TX. The Great Lakes Science Center and its two partners – NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) and the Cleveland Orchestra – presented “Total Eclipse Fest 2024,” a three-day celestial celebration at North Coast Harbor in downtown Cleveland beginning April 6 and culminating on the day of the eclipse. The event included free concerts, performances, speakers, and hands-on science activities. At the heart of the festival was the “NASA Village,” an immersive experience featuring the agency’s major missions and projects aimed at advancing space exploration and revolutionizing air travel. Figure 2 shows the location of each outreach tent in the village, while Figure 3 provides descriptions of each activity. More than 36,000 attendees visited the NASA village over the three-day event. Exhibits focused on innovations in aeronautics, space, solar, and lunar science, and best practices for ensuring a safe solar eclipse viewing experience. Through virtual and augmented simulations, attendees had the opportunity to take a supersonic flight, walk on Mars, and visit the International Space Station. Attendees of all ages participated in hands-on activities and talked to NASA scientists and engineers about their work and how to join the NASA team. Attendees could also walk through Journey to Tomorrow, a traveling exhibit complete with interactive English and Spanish-language content, and see an Apollo-era Moon rock. Visitors also explored large-scale, inflatable displays of the X-59 plane designed to quiet supersonic air travel, the Space Launch System rocket slated to take the first woman and person of color to the Moon, and a Mars habitat concept. Throughout the NASA Village, attendees could take advantage of several photo opportunities, including iconic NASA cutouts and displays. NASA also hosted astronaut autograph signing sessions, as well as special guest “meet and greets.” A View of the Eclipse from Cleveland In Cleveland, the eclipse began at 1:59 PM EDT, with totality spanning 3:13–3:17 PM. The eclipse concluded at 4:28 PM. SSO staff supported total eclipse outreach from April 5–9, specifically engaging attendees at the Solar Science tent within the NASA Village and providing information about eclipse safety and heliophysics, and handing out items such as the NASA Science calendar, NASA tote bags, and other outreach materials. SSO also supported a NASA photo booth with eclipse-themed props and took hundreds of souvenir photos for visitors to remember their time at the festival – see Photos 5–9 . Eclipse Engagement in Texas In addition to the Cleveland eclipse festival, SSO staff members supported total eclipse engagement in Kerrville, TX, from April 5–9, including several small events at Cailloux Theatre, Doyle Community Center, Trailhead Garden, and Kerrville-Schreiner Park leading up to the eclipse. (While a bit more remote than Cleveland, Kerville was chosen as a SunSpot location during the total eclipse because it was also in the path of the October 2023 annular eclipse, NASA had outreach activities in Kerville for that eclipse as well). The events culminated on April 8 at Louise Hays Park. NASA’s impact on the community was wide-reaching, engaging approximately 4000 individual interactions with community members and visitors. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and appreciative. On April 8, SSO provided astronaut handler support for NASA Astronaut Reid Wiseman – who will command the Artemis II Moon mission – during a “photos with an astronaut” session. SSO staff also escorted Wiseman to and from a main stage speaking engagement and the NASA broadcast engagement – see Photos 10–13 . NASA Science Engagement Across the Agency As millions gazed at totality from the ground, NASA was conducting science from the skies. Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path (APEP), a NASA sounding rocket mission, launched three rockets from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study how the sudden dip in sunlight that occurs during an eclipse affects the upper atmosphere. Each rocket deployed four scientific instruments that measured changes in electric and magnetic fields, density, and temperature – see Photo 14. As part of the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project , student teams constructed hundreds of balloons and launched them during the eclipse, encouraging students to consider careers in the STEM workforce. Also, two WB-57 aircraft carried instruments to further extend scientific observations made during the eclipse. By taking images above Earth’s atmosphere, scientists were able to see new details of structures in the middle and lower corona. The observations – taken with a camera that images in infrared and visible light at high resolution and high speed – could improve our understanding of the dust ring around the Sun and help search for asteroids that may orbit near the Sun. The WB-57 flights also carried instruments to learn more about the temperature and chemical composition of the corona and coronal mass ejections – or large bursts of solar material. By flying these instruments on a WB-57, the scientists extended their time in the Moon’s shadow by over two minutes from what could be achieved using ground-based observations. A third experiment used an ionosonde to study the ionosphere – the charged layer of Earth’s upper atmosphere. The device functions like a simple radar, sending out high frequency radio signals and listening for their echo rebounding off the ionosphere. The echoes allow researchers to measure how the ionosphere’s charge changed during the eclipse – see Photo 15. The eclipse also provided an opportunity for the public to contribute to the NASA Citizen Scienc e program – a project called Eclipse Soundscapes reached over 900 people during their training programs to prepare for the eclipse. Over 36,000 individual citizen scientists contributed more than 60,000 data submissions across the eclipse path, recording the reactions of wildlife before, during, and after this celestial event. As part of NASA’s Heliophysics Big Year to celebrate the Sun, NASA played a key role in enabling safe participation as well as working with new-to-NASA audiences. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate ordered and distributed 2.05 million eclipse glasses across the country, with distribution locations including K–12 schools, libraries, minority-serving institutions, community events, museums, partner organizations, underserved communities, science centers, and NASA personnel. As of April 8, Science Activation reached over 2000 educators across the country through programming designed to prepare educators for the eclipse and provide them with educational resources to train students in STEM. NASA broadcasted a livestream of engagement events on NASA+, the NASA App, NASA.gov, and NASA social media channels. By 4:30 PM EDT, NASA’s websites spiked (e.g., nasa.gov , science.nasa.gov , plus.nasa.gov , and ciencia.nasa.gov ) with nearly 28.9 million views and 15.6 million unique visitors. At its peak, 1,458,212 people watched the eclipse broadcast live, experiencing the eclipse together through the eyes of NASA. Total viewership as of 4:30 PM EDT was 13,511,924. NASA’s Office of Communications Engagement Division organized at least 17 in-person and digital partner interactions, including several Major League Baseball games, Google eclipse safety Doodle and search effect, coverage of NASA on NASDAQ’s screen in Times Square, a solar songs request weekend on Third Rock Radio, and a Snoopy visit to the Cleveland sunspot. Several partners also interacted on social media, including Barbie, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Snoopy, LEGO, and other partner accounts. The 2024 total eclipse brought joy and awe to millions, inspiring so many to look up, be curious about the natural world around them, and explore the sky. The next total solar eclipse will occur in 2026 and will be visible in Spain, a small area of Portugal, as well as Iceland, Greenland, and Russia. We won’t see another total eclipse in the U.S. until 2044. Dalia Kirshenblat NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Global Science and Technology, Inc. [email protected] Related Terms Earth Science USA TODAY Sports The procrastinator's guide to viewing the April 8 solar eclipse in Florida Wait … so there's an eclipse about to happen ? If you missed the memo on a major astronomical event happening in a week, consider this a friendly reminder — there's a major astronomical event set to happen Monday, April 8. And this isn't just some meager meteor show you can walk outside for. You actually need to prepare if you want to view the solar eclipse. For any procrastinators, don't let the time tick away too much. Here's the key information you should be aware of before the moon passes between Earth and the sun next week. First of all, when is the eclipse? It's sooner rather than later The total solar eclipse will cross North America on  Monday, April 8 . The total eclipse will  hit the coast of Mexico  on April 8, about 11:07 a.m. PDT and leave the continental North America at 5:16 p.m. NDT (Newfoundland Time). The partial eclipse will begin first as the edge of the moon becomes visible, and then about an hour and 20 minutes later the totality will begin and last for three or four minutes before the sun begins to appear again. Will Florida see the total solar eclipse? Florida  is not in the path of totality  for the April 8 solar eclipse, so residents won't see the moon completely block the sun. Residents will see a partial eclipse, though. Depending on your location,  anywhere from 54 percent to 82 percent of the sun will be blocked . Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, plus parts of Tennessee and Michigan, are all in the 115-mile-wide path of totality. To see the exact path of totality, check out  an interactive map  created by French eclipse expert Xavier Jubier. When to watch in Tallahassee and what's the forecast According to timeanddate.com , the partial eclipse will last for about two and a half hours in Tallahassee. The National Weather Service breaks it down this way: Moon makes first "contact" with the Sun: 1:42pm Peak Eclipse: 3:00pm EDT Moon makes last "contact" with the Sun: 4:17pm EDT Join the crowd at Kleman Plaza to watch the solar spectacle Looking to get outside and view the Great North American Eclipse on April 8? The  Challenger Learning Center  will be hosting a viewing event in Kleman Plaza with the Tallahassee Astronomical Society. Inside the planetarium, the Challenger center will stream the celestial event and the movement of the eclipse across North America. They'll also have glasses on hand for $2 for an outdoor watch party in Kleman Plaza where TAS will set up telescopes. Floridians will see 71% of a total eclipse, so not completely covered, but Alan Hanstein, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center, says folks will still be in for a "real treat." In 2017, thousands of all ages  gathered at the Challenger Learning Center's viewing party at Kleman Plaza to witness the brief but historical solar eclipse. If you don't have glasses yet, go here (maybe) Before you even grab glasses, you want to make sure you get the right ones . Or else. NASA warns viewing any part of the sun with binoculars, a telescope or through a camera lens without a special-purpose solar filter or with your bare eyes without solar viewing glasses  can result in severe eye injury . American Astronomical Society’s website shares  a curated list of approved vendors  for eclipse glasses and how to spot knock-offs. Check the list before purchasing any. Free solar eclipse glasses are also typically given out by local libraries, schools and observatories. These locations might have limited supplies, so it's best to call ahead to see if they have any available. More: Where to get free eclipse glasses: Sonic, Jeni's, Warby Parker and more giving glasses away Here's some stores and restaurants where you might be able to get free eclipse glasses: Jeni's Ice Cream Perfect Snacks Warby Parker Didn't score glasses? Don't fret — Here's how to view the eclipse without glasses If you didn't get a chance to grab any glasses, no need to worry! There are plenty of hacks to view the eclipse, such as: Using a pizza box to view the eclipse According to foodie blog Delish, you will need pizza box, tin foil, scissors, a pen and scotch tape. "In short, you cut the pizza box in half and poke a one-inch round hole in the middle of one side, then cover it with tin foil and poke another small hole in the foil," the site explained. "On the other half of the pizza box, tape a plain white sheet of paper. Stand with the sun behind you, and the magic will happen." Use a cracker to view the eclipse Use a buttery round cracker (think Ritz or saltine) and a white sheet of paper. With your back  toward  the sun, hold the cracker up to the paper. Your eyes should be looking away from the sun, which is what’s required for safe, indirect viewing, experts say. The solar eclipse will filter through the tiny cracker holes. Use a slotted spoon Use a slotted spoon with round holes in it. Again, with your toward the sun, hold up the spoon to the sheet of paper and watch the solar eclipse project an image. Use a colander or bowl According to Dennis Ward, retired president of Longmont Astronomical Society in Colorado, “Another great projection viewing device is a colander or pasta strainer with holes, not slots.“ Same instructions apply, stand with your back toward the sun, and hold up the colander to the sheet of paper to see the eclipse. Let the apps answer all your eclipse-focused questions If you feel the need to study up on the eclipse or you have any pressing questions that you can't find on Google, you can turn to the hundreds of solar eclipse apps available. USA Today highlighted these popular apps ahead of April 8: Total Solar Eclipse (Only only IOS) Eclipse 2024 (Only on IOS) One Eclipse The NASA App Need somewhere to go watch? Here are 6 Florida events to check out Whether you're goal is to pretend you planned way out in advance or just head somewhere where you can learn more about the eclipse, here's six events to choose from: Solar Eclipse Viewing Party  at the Orlando Science Center - 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803 Partial Eclipse and Earth Day Celebration  at Kennedy Space Center - Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953 There Goes the Sun: Solar Eclipse Viewing  at Palm Beach Gardens - Mirasol Park, 12385 Jog Road Solar Eclipse viewing  at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium - 4801 Dreher Trail N, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 Eclipse Viewing at the  Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium  - 3450 Ortiz Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33905 Eclipse viewing  at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science - 1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132 Don't be late: Check the time Depending on what part of Florida you’re in , residents should start to see the eclipse beginning about 1:35 p.m. EDT on April 8, 2024, with the midpoint at 2:55 p.m. Whether you're just watching the eclipse from home or heading out to an event, make sure you keep track of time (to be safe, no naps from noon to 3 p.m.) Weather could affect the view in some spots We all know that Florida's weather can change at any hour or minute. Heck, even any second! Put your weather app to good use and on Sunday, April 7, see what the weather conditions are for the upcoming day. Solar eclipse 2024: Latest news on a surprising forecast and where to snag some glasses How to take photos, videos, time-lapses FLORIDA TODAY Photo Chief Malcolm Denemark shared tips on how to take photos of the eclipse , saying the number one piece of  advice is to protect your eyes with eclipse glasses. Even through the lens of your camera. If you plan to use a professional camera, he said you'll need a certain filter, which can be ordered on Amazon. If you're not a Prime member, order those as soon as possible. “These filters are approximately 16 stops darker than normal,” Denemark said. “Standard neutral density and polarizing filters are not dark enough.” FLORIDA TODAY photo editor: Here's how to safely photograph the April 8 solar eclipse If you’re using your phone to photograph the eclipse, you’ll still need to take precautions. “Hold or tape solar eclipse filter material or solar glasses in front of the phone camera,” Denemark said. “You can seriously damage your phone and camera if trying to shoot directly at the sun without appropriate filter material.” Is there school in Florida during the eclipse? For states in the path of totality, some schools are taking the day off to let students enjoy the rare event. However, Florida students will still be in the classroom. As of March 29, Florida school calendars do not list Monday, April 8 as a day off . So if your child tells you it's a three-day weekend coming up, just brush it off. Contributing reporting: Jennifer Sangalang and Michelle Spitzer , Florida Today USA TODAY Sports The solar eclipse is just days away. Here's a way-too-early Tallahassee forecast The Great North American Solar Eclipse is just days away and already the nation is buzzing with excitement. Even though Florida won't be in the "path of totality," as it's called, viewers in the state can look up (while wearing solar glasses) to catch a partial eclipse – weather and clouds permitting. What's the weather going to be? A way-too-early forecast The forecast from the federal government's  Climate Prediction Center  for April 8 calls for "widespread cloudiness and precipitation for much of the eastern half of the nation," center meteorologist Anthony Artusa said. "This, of course, is not favorable for good viewing conditions near the path of totality on April 8th." It's too early for a truly accurate forecast, but Tallahasseans can keep their fingers crossed for almost cloudless skies as the partial eclipse gracefully passes through. Israel Gonzalez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, said it's too soon to know exactly what the weather will look like, but early projections are showing more sun than clouds for the capital city during the time of the eclipse. The Weather Channel's long-range forecast is calling for a beautiful spring day with temps almost cracking 80 degrees. Forecasters say to expect sunny skies with only a 4% chance of rain. According to timeanddate.com , the partial eclipse will last for about two and a half hours in Tallahassee, starting at about 1:42 p.m. and ending at about 4:17 p.m. with maximum viewing at 3 p.m. For those looking for an accurate estimate of the weather for Monday, April 8, an official forecast will be released on April 1. How much of the solar eclipse will be visible in Florida? Florida is not in the path of totality for April's solar eclipse, meaning the moon won't totally block the sun. Depending on where you are in the Sunshine State, the moon will block  anywhere from 54-82%  of the sun. Residents in the northwest corner of the state will see more of the eclipse. In Tallahassee, experts say the capital city should catch at least 70% visibility of the celestial alignment. ➤  See exact times to go outside to see the eclipse across Florida What will the solar eclipse look like in Florida? Countdown clock to 2024 solar eclipse, path of 2024 total solar eclipse. The path of totality for April's solar eclipse stretches from northern Mexico to southeastern Canada before moving over the Atlantic Ocean. In the United States, April's total solar eclipse will  cross 13 states. Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, plus parts of Tennessee and Michigan, are all in the 115-mile-wide path of totality. To see the exact path of totality, check out  an interactive map  created by French eclipse expert Xavier Jubier. What's the best place in Florida to see the Great North American Eclipse? Pineville, in the northwestern tip of Florida's Panhandle, is the  city in Florida where the greatest percentage of the sun will be covered  during the eclipse, according to  Eclipse2024. At the midpoint of the eclipse, Pineville viewers will see 82.4% of the sun covered at 1:55 p.m. CDT, closely followed by Bratt, with 82.3% of the sun blocked by the moon. Don't forget the glasses wherever you got looking It's important to emphasize: Do not look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse. You can  seriously damage your eyes . There might still time to  get a pair of solar glasses  or  make a pinhole projector.   Also, be sure to watch out for  fake eclipse glasses . They're dangerous. When in doubt, buyers should refer back to the list of  official sellers and manufacturers maintained by the American Astronomical Society , which communicates directly with sellers and manufacturers and checks test reports. Manufacturers need to have their glasses tested independently at two top labs in the U.S. to secure a spot. If you miss this one, mark your calendar for 2045 While Florida will see only a partial eclipse on April 8, mark your calendars for another eclipse with a great view. On Aug. 12, 2045, a  total solar eclipse will be visible over almost all of Florida , according to  NationalEclipse.com. The last total solar eclipse was in 2017 and Tallahassee caught a nearly total view. Last October, another partial eclipse passed through cloudy skies in Tallahassee, almost incognito to some patrons on the ground. Contributors: Ramon Padilla, Katrina Zaiets, USA TODAY . Alaijah Brown can be reached at  [email protected] . Solar eclipse livestream: Watch Saturday's rare 'ring of fire' annual eclipse live On Saturday, millions of Americans will be in the path of a rare " ring of fire" annular solar eclipse , visible over multiple states in the U.S. NASA is streaming the solar eclipse, with live coverage beginning Saturday. The livestream will feature conversations with scientists and telescope views from across the country. You can watch the livestream at the video at the top of this page or on NASA's YouTube channel . According to NASA , a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth while it as its farthest point from the Earth. The moon is farther away from than usual for this eclipse, appearing smaller than the sun and not completely covering it, creating the "ring of fire" effect. Annular solar eclipse: Here's what to know about viewing and capturing the solar eclipse with your cellphone camera How to safely watch the solar eclipse: You'll want eclipse glasses or a viewer Saturday Weather permitting, the solar eclipse will be visible in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, as well as parts of California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona. It will also continue to Central America in Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Panama, and will travel through Colombia in South America before ending off the coast of Natal, Brazil. According to NASA, it will first become visible in Oregon around 9:13 a.m. PDT, weather permitting, and will end in Texas around 12:03 p.m. CDT. Saturday's annular solar eclipse is different from a total eclipse, the next of which is expected to  occur in April and will be the last opportunity for people in the states to catch a glimpse of a ring of fire for a number of years. 'Ring of fire' solar eclipse: What time is it on Saturday and where can you view it? Share full article Advertisement Supported by For His Second Trip to Space, Billionaire Has Grander, Riskier Aspirations Jared Isaacman is leading three other privately trained astronauts on a SpaceX vehicle for Polaris Dawn, a mission that will include a daring spacewalk. By Kenneth Chang Kenneth Chang has been reporting on Jared Isaacman’s spaceflight efforts since early 2021 . Aug. 27: This article was updated to reflect postponements of the launch. Three years ago, a billionaire entrepreneur named Jared Isaacman made a groundbreaking trip to space. That spaceflight, which Mr. Isaacman called Inspiration4 , was the first to orbit the Earth without a professional astronaut aboard. In the coming days, Mr. Isaacman, the founder and chief executive of Shift4, a payment processing company, is planning to head into space again. This time the itinerary is longer, more daring and riskier, and includes a spacewalk, the first by private astronauts. The mission, named Polaris Dawn, hearkens back to the earliest era of spaceflight, the 1960s, when pioneers like Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union and John Glenn of NASA pushed the boundaries of what had been accomplished in space, learning how to survive and operate in an airless and weightless environment. But unlike those expeditions, undertaken by national space agencies, this is a purely commercial effort. For Polaris Dawn, Mr. Isaacman is collaborating closely with Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, to start laying the foundations for Mr. Musk’s dream of someday sending people to Mars . “There’s always a risk calculus to it,” Mr. Isaacman said in an interview a week and a half ago, before he and his three crewmates headed to Florida for the launch. “But the real focus is on what we stand to gain and learn from it. And in this case, we’ve got some pretty cool things.” Most astronaut missions these days are almost boringly routine, basically taxi rides ferrying people to and from an orbiting space station. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber?  Log in . Want all of The Times?  Subscribe . 262 COMMENTS Five Fascinating Science Projects Using the Total Solar Eclipse to Learn how researchers and volunteers will use the total solar eclipse to study the sun's corona, the ionosphere, and animal behavior. The projects include the Eclipse Megamovie, HamSci, SunSketcher, Eclipse Soundscapes, and Eclipse Ballooning. Science in the Shadows: NASA Selects 5 Experiments for 2024 Total Solar Learn how NASA will study the Sun, Earth, and their interactions during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The projects will use high-altitude planes, ham radios, radars, and telescopes to observe the corona, ionosphere, and solar active regions. Eclipse 2024 Science Studying the 2024 Eclipse. As the total solar eclipse darkened a swath of North America when the Moon blocked the light of the Sun for a few minutes on April 8, 2024, scientists had a unique opportunity to study the Sun, Earth, and their interactions. Scientists on and off the path of totality are studying the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the ... Solar eclipse promises to be best yet for scientific experiments March 25, 2024, 8:14 AM PDT / Source: The Associated Press. April's total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes — and cosmic chance. The ... NASA will study the Great North American Solar Eclipse of 2024 with A total solar eclipse is seen on Aug. 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon.(Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) NASA has selected five science experiments that it will fund to study the sun and Earth ... Make an Eclipse: Eclipse Activity In this Science Snack, you can experiment with models of total solar eclipses, annular solar eclipses, and partial solar eclipses, and see how they occur. Though the Sun is much, much larger than the moon, and much farther away, from our point of view on Earth we see a total solar eclipse when the moon perfectly covers the faraway Sun. NASA Science in the Shadows: Five Exciting Experiments ... NASA is funding five diverse research projects to exploit the scientific opportunities presented by the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Using a mix of high-altitude cameras, spectrometers, ham radios, and citizen science, the projects aim to investigate the Sun's corona, radio wave propagation The Science of Solar Eclipses and How to Watch With NASA Learn about the types, causes and effects of solar eclipses, and how to watch the upcoming total eclipse on April 8, 2024. Find out how to make your own eclipse viewer, explore the science behind eclipses, and join NASA's eclipse community. NASA Funds 3 Citizen Science Projects to Study 2024 U.S. Solar Eclipse Learn how you can participate in scientific experiments to study the Sun and its corona during the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. Find out how to capture images, measure polarization, and track plasma flows with NASA-funded teams. Plan for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible to many viewers in North America. The map below from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio shows the path of the upcoming eclipse. In the US, the path of totality (estimated to be between 108 and 122 miles wide) includes these states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas ... Solar Eclipse Kit Learn how to make a simple shoebox model of a solar eclipse with black card, yellow tissue paper and a toothpick. Explore how different types of light and colors affect the eclipse effect. Science experiments to do at home during April's total solar eclipse NASA citizen science projects for the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. NASA has more than 10 citizen science projects related to the sun or the upcoming eclipse. Some of them require you to buy ... How to Make a Simple Eclipse Model Torch or lamp. Place the larger ball on one skewer and decorate it to look like the Earth. Attach the smaller ball to the second skewer and paint it grey to look like the moon. Place the bottom end of the skewer in a ball of playdough so each stands freely. Place a lamp or torch behind the model of the Earth and place the moon model in between. 4 ways you can help NASA study the April 8 solar eclipse From observing how the sun works to how animals react to darkness in the daytime, here are 4 simple, NASA-funded science projects you can contribute to during the April 8 total solar eclipse. Experience the Total Solar Eclipse with Science Activation Whether you're on or off the path of totality, use this guide to help you explore live and virtual opportunities presented to you by teams from NASA's Science Activation Program for safely enjoying the eclipse and even contributing as a volunteer to do NASA Eclipse science. Note: Safety is the number one priority when viewing an eclipse. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the NASA 2024 ... Solar Eclipse Experiment Will Fly a Kite to Avoid Cloudy Skies A kite-borne experiment will observe the sun's mysterious corona during the upcoming total solar eclipse By Anavi Uppal The 2017 total solar eclipse, photographed by the Solar Wind Sherpas. How to recreate a solar eclipse During a solar eclipse, we are essentially in the shadow of the moon. In this project, the large ball is the sun and the small ball is the moon. Have someone hold up the large ball or circle (the ... Educator Guide: Model a Solar Eclipse Students should be able to model a partial, annular, and total eclipse. Extensions. Set up a light to represent the Sun, similar to the setup for the Moon Phases lesson. Have students model a total solar eclipse with this setup. Have students model a lunar eclipse - when Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon. Solar eclipse In fact, a solar eclipse would occur once every 29.5 days if the Moon orbited Earth in the same plane as Earth's orbit around the Sun. But the Moon's orbit is inclined 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun. Therefore, Earth, the Moon and the Sun only end up in line with each other between two and five times a year. 10 Solar Eclipse Activities for Kids A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and creates a shadow with the sun's light. Three things have to be true to make solar eclipses occur: 1) There is a new moon which means the side of the moon lit by the sun is facing away from the earth. 2) The moon has to cross the path of the earth's orbit. NASA Releases New Solar Eclipse Educational Materials Learn how to safely observe and analyze solar eclipses with NASA data and tools. Explore lesson plans, interactives, and activities for grades 3 through 12 on My NASA Data website. Solar Eclipse STEM Challenge and Activities During a partial solar eclipse, only a portion of the sun is obscured, while a total solar eclipse occurs when the sun is entirely covered by the moon. ... So, the next time a solar eclipse graces the sky, consider trying out these hands-on projects with your young astronomers. It's a fantastic way to make learning about the cosmos an ... April's Total Solar Eclipse Promises To Be The Best Yet For Experiments April's total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes — and cosmic chance. ... (6.5-meter) kite will lift a science instrument three miles (5 ... Looking Back on Looking Up: The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse The eclipse concluded at 4:28 PM. SSO staff supported total eclipse outreach from April 5-9, specifically engaging attendees at the Solar Science tent within the NASA Village and providing information about eclipse safety and heliophysics, and handing out items such as the NASA Science calendar, NASA tote bags, and other outreach materials. What scientists hope to learn from the solar eclipse The total solar eclipse is a way for astronomers across the US to study the sun and Earth using new technology, both on the ground and in space. ... Experiments and observations will take place on ... Solar Eclipse 2024: Here's what dedicated procrastinators need to know Free solar eclipse glasses are also typically given out by local libraries, schools and observatories. These locations might have limited supplies, so it's best to call ahead to see if they have any available. ... Pay attention to how insects react Eclipse experiments: Wear red or green during the April 2024 eclipse for a fun science lesson ... Tallahassee eclipse weather forecast: Fingers crossed for few clouds Pay attention to how insects react Eclipse experiments: Wear red or green during the April 2024 eclipse for a fun science lesson 2024 solar eclipse will be visible in Florida. Watch solar eclipse livestream: Saturday's rare 'ring of fire' event On Saturday, millions of Americans will be in the path of a rare "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse, visible over multiple states in the U.S.NASA is streaming the solar eclipse, with live ... SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission: Why a Billionaire Is Risking a Spacewalk Keep track of things going on in our solar system and all around the universe. Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other 2024 event that's out of this world with our ... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis