Eclipse Watching

Watching a Partial Eclipse Which way does the eclipse travel? Relative to Earth, the Moon and Sun are moving at slightly different speeds, which means the Moon’s shadow sweeps across the Earth’s surface from west to east at about 2000 miles an hour, a...

The Total Experience

Why do colors change? In outer space, the sky is black and the Sun is a white disc, visible only in the direct line of sight—there is nothing to scatter its light. Here on Earth, in normal daylight the molecules and dust in the atmosphere...

Eclipses in Literature and Art

What examples of eclipses occur in literature? There are many examples of eclipses in literature. The first mention of an eclipse in classical literature is a description in Homer’s Odyssey, of the time when, in 1178 bc, “The Sun has perished...

Eclipses in History and Myth

What links eclipses, Romulus, and the foundation of Rome? Classical literature has associated Romulus’s birth, his foundation of Rome, and his death, with eclipses. The most common years assigned to these events are 771, 753, and 715 bc, but modern information about eclipses...

Eclipses and Science

What science has come from eclipses? The philosophers of Ancient Greece used eclipses and occultation to build the first conception of a three-dimensional universe and overthrow the impression that Earth is at the center of a celestial dome on which the Sun, Moon, planets, and...

Eclipse Facts and Fictions

What is a solar eclipse? The Moon’s diameter is 400 times smaller than the Sun’s, but the Moon is also 400 times closer to us, so, remarkably, the two bodies appear exactly the same size when viewed from the Earth. For about 14 days a...

Eclipse Tourism

When and where can I see a total lunar eclipse? To see a total lunar eclipse, simply stay at home. One will come your way within a year or two. Your biggest problem might be having to get up at some unappealing time of the...

Celestial Dynamics: what, why, and how

Which is more likely, a solar or a lunar eclipse? Most of us have seen a lunar eclipse, possibly several, whereas solar eclipses seem to occur rarely. In your lifetime, you will have the chance to see several total lunar eclipses, but unless you are...