Solar eclipse 2017: everything you need to know about the celestial phenomenon – The Verge

Almost 90 percent of American adults watched the eclipse last month

2017-09-27T14:42:33-04:00

A staggering 88 percent of American adults watched the solar eclipse on August 21st as it crossed the US. That's 215 million people, most of whom went outside to see the event in person, according to a new study by the University of Michigan.

About 154 million people ventured outside to watch the Moon slowly creep in front of the Sun and then cover it, either partially or in full. The astronomical event was also live streamed, and about 61 million people viewed the eclipse electronically. That's "unparalleled" in terms of public engagement with a scientific event, said Jon Miller, director of the International Center for the Advancement of …

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A camera store shows off gear wrecked by the solar eclipse

2017-09-03T15:00:02-04:00

In the days and weeks leading up to the total solar eclipse over the United States last month, there were plenty of warnings for spectators: make sure you protect your eyes and camera equipment. LensRentals, a Tennessee-based camera rental shop, rented out a number of lenses before the event and warned customers to make sure that they use solar filters. Not everyone did.

The store posted up a series of images on its blog, showing some of the cameras that were damaged during the eclipse. Blog editor Zach Sutton wrote that they weren't out to criticize their customers, but wanted to show what happened, and that it's fortunate that they have a …

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What’s that weird speck in my eclipse photo?

2017-08-22T16:03:43-04:00

Eclipse over the Boston Public Garden. | Photo by Rachel Becker / The Verge

Maybe you didn't plan ahead for the eclipse and found yourself in the same situation I did: unprepared. I expected to be traveling on Monday, so when I found myself under the clear Boston sky as the Moon began to move in front of the Sun, I had no eclipse glasses, no supplies to make a pinhole projector, and no decent camera. All I had was my iPhone SE in its grubby plastic case.

If you're like me, you might have taken as many photos as you could with your setup, and discovered some weird surprises in the shots. In my case, there were eclipse-shaped bright spots in the sky - which Business Insider ID'd as lens flares. I was wondering what t …

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How I outran clouds to get the perfect eclipse photo

2017-08-22T11:30:00-04:00

I was sitting on the grassy floor of a wooded park in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by dozens of strangers, and we were all looking up at the sky in a panic. It was 1:21PM Central Time. We were just six minutes away from the event we'd all come to see: the total solar eclipse. And there was a giant, gray cloud lingering perilously close to the Sun's edge.

In the next couple of minutes, the cloud inched closer to the Sun, and a lump caught in my throat. "What do we want to do?" I asked my friend Miriam, wide-eyed. The two of us had been in the park since 10AM, and our DSLR cameras had been set up on tripods pointed directly at the Sun for …

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Did you miss yesterday’s total solar eclipse? Here’s your next chance

2017-08-22T08:00:01-04:00

The August 21st total solar eclipse seen from Madras, Oregon. | Photo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Yesterday, the US experienced one of the biggest astronomical events of the decade: a total solar eclipse that crossed the country from coast to coast for the first time since 1918. If you're heartbroken you missed it, don't worry. You ought to get a few other chances over your lifetime.

Total solar eclipses happen every 18 months or so, when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun on its orbit around our planet. If you're in the direct path of the Moon's shadow - called the path of totality - you will see the Sun go dark. Often, however, the path of totality goes over the ocean or Antarctica. So that's why whenever a total s …

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The eclipse pulled 10 percent of Netflix US viewers away from the screen

2017-08-22T02:41:34-04:00

Standing as testament to the enduring power of natural events to captivate human imaginations, yesterday's eclipse managed to achieve a rare feat in dropping Netflix US viewer figures by 10 percent while it was happening. That statistical curio was revealed in a pair of overdramatized tweets from a Netflix Twitter account apparently wrecked by feelings of jealousy and abandonment:

but really, there was a 10% drop in plays during the eclipse today. Well played, Moon
- Netflix (@netflix) August 22, 2017

Visible across the continental United States (provided clouds didn't spoil your local party), the August 21st eclipse was the first of its ki …

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How Eclipseville, Kentucky prepared for the eclipse — and ran out of toilet paper

2017-08-21T19:22:45-04:00

Elizabeth Gates, 8, Sarah Lewis, and Jason Gates of Dillsburg, PA walk through downtown Hopkinsville, KY | Photo by Luke Sharett for The Verge

Last Tuesday the local groceries ran out of toilet paper. The people of Hopkinsville, Kentucky - my hometown - were so worried that eclipse tourism would overrun the city that they rushed to Walmart and Kroger. Over a two hour period, every lane at Kroger had a line. "We're selling everything," said assistant manager Wilbert Vaughn. Shelf after shelf was missing stock: We're all out of Crisco, we're low on sour cream, no more sweet tea.

Hopkinsville is point of the greatest eclipse for the total solar eclipse that swept the country today. NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak has seen 20 of them. "There is absolutely nothing that compares to …

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Here’s what the 2017 solar eclipse looked like from space

2017-08-21T16:59:11-04:00

The 2017 solar eclipse has come and gone! Now, it's time to stare in awe at all the amazing images captured by NASA, the European Space Agency, their satellites, and the luckiest folks off Earth: the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Yes, while you were pinching and zooming on your phone trying to nail the perfect Instagram moment, space agencies around the world were gathering the kinds of eclipse images that we could never dream of capturing ourselves.

To wit, there are already plenty of great images of shadow that the Moon cast across the country. Let's start with a few GIFs and videos of that, made from images captured …

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Solar eclipse 2017: what you need to know

2017-08-21T09:35:33-04:00

On August 21st, the great American eclipse will descend upon the United States, casting its shadow from coast to coast for the first time since 1918. It's perhaps one of the biggest astronomical events of the decade. And we are here to help you prepare for it.

Whether you're traveling to an optimal viewing place or staying put where you live, here's what you need to know about the big day.

I haven't been on the internet for a while. What is an eclipse again?

An eclipse is the serendipitous alignment of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun. Around every 18 months or so, the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun on its orbit around o …

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What time is the eclipse?

2017-08-20T11:29:17-04:00

It's the Super Bowl of the Solar System! On Monday, August 21st, the Moon will obscure the Sun. People across the US will travel to the narrow band of land where the Sun will be completely blocked out, but even if you're far away and watching from home you'll see something special happen in the sky.

The eclipse won't last long, so you'll want to be sure you're ready to watch at the precise time when it will peak. Our friends at Vox made a handy eclipse-watching tool that tells you exactly when you should be outside to see the action. Just type your zip code into the tool below to see what time to watch and what your eclipse will look like. …

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