The August 21 total eclipse will last several hours. There will be many interesting things to look for. Bookmark this handy checklist of must-see events and effects, from eclipse gurus Fred Espenak and Mark Littmann.
A 1st-of-its-kind stamp that changes when you touch it, commemorating the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. Fred Espenak - whose photos are on the new stamp - tells the story.
This checklist - from eclipse master Fred Espenak - will help you plan the perfect total solar eclipse experience! Do your homework and the only other thing you’ll need is perfect weather on August 21!
If you miss the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 - first such eclipse in contiguous U.S. since 1979 - you'll have to wait until 2024 to see the next one.
There are currently 40 different Saros series in progress, each with its own assigned number. The total solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 belongs to Saros 120.
Fred Espenak is a scientist emeritus at Goddard Space Flight Center. For decades, he has been NASA's expert on eclipses, and some of you may know him as Mr. Eclipse. Fred maintains NASA's official eclipse web site (eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov) as well as his personal web site on eclipse photography (mreclipse.com). Now retired and living in rural Arizona, Fred spends most clear nights losing sleep and photographing the stars (astropixels.com). His latest website is devoted to helping you enjoy eclipses (www.eclipsewise.com). He is an EarthSky content partner.