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26days
23
hours
04
minutes
56
seconds
Until totality reaches the United States
26days
august
12
2045
Until the next total solar eclipse crosses the United States
Eclipse
in progress
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dark moon
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sun
26days
23
hours
04
minutes
56
seconds
Until totality reaches the United States
moon image
cloud image
explore our eclipse stories
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Presented by
Presented by

Countdown
to the Eclipse

Countidown
to the Eclipse

26days
23
hours
04
minutes
56
seconds
Until totality reaches the United States
26days
august
12
2045
Until the next total solar eclipse crosses the United States
Eclipse
in progress
sun
dark moon
moon image
light rayslight rayslight rays
explore our eclipse stories
cloud image
Star Image
Awe in Arkansas

A Perfect Eclipse Takes Center Stage at Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival

Our Hot Springs eclipse hub transformed into a magical celebration of music, art, science, and the cosmos. See for yourself.
By Danielle Hallock
Awe in Arkansas

A Perfect Eclipse Takes Center Stage at Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival

Our Hot Springs eclipse hub transformed into a magical celebration of music, art, science, and the cosmos. See for yourself.
By Danielle Hallock
Star Image
Star Image
Eclipse Origin Stories

Indigenous Solar Eclipse Stories From Across Turtle Island

From rodents of unusual size to flaming arrows, communities across North America share solar eclipse traditions.
By Roxanne Hoorn
Seems Shady to Us

Stephen King, Shakespeare, and Many Writers Agree: Eclipses Are Doom

Beware the symbolism of a darkened sky.
By Suzie Dundas
There's a Starman

‘Astro Joe’ Invites Chicagoans To Gaze at the Night Sky

Self-taught astronomer, Joe Guzman has been educating Chicago residents about space for decades.
By Jonathan Feakins
The Science of Wonder

Why the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse May Blow Your Mind

How a jaw-dropping experience like this one can change the rest of your life.
By Sarah Laskow
Head Out on the Highway

Get Thee to Totality With an Epic Eclipse Road Trip

Five routes, from five U.S. cities, all ending at Atlas Obscura's Ecliptic Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
By Atlas Obscura
The Quest for the Corona

To Study the Sun’s Corona, Scientists Have Long Chased Eclipses

The Sun’s dazzlingly bright photosphere makes it impossible to study the corona—unless the Moon is in the way.
By Barbara Ryden
Eclipse Epic

'Total Eclipse of the Heart' Was Almost a Meat Loaf Song

Bonnie Tyler’s classic rock epic nearly got the ‘Bat Out of Hell’ treatment.
By Natalie Zarelli
Old Probabilities

How the 1878 Eclipse Almost Killed the Father of American Meteorology

Today’s National Weather Service might be very different if Cleveland Abbe had died on Pike’s Peak.
By Eric Grundhauser
Mapping Totality

Eclipse Maps Entered a Golden Age Thanks to Edmond Halley

In the 18th century, the English astronomer created a new appreciation for these celestial events.
By Sarah Laskow
Eclipse Firsts

The Earliest Film of an Eclipse, Recently Rediscovered, Is Pure Magic

Nevil Maskelyne, Jr., made history in 1900 with footage that still astonishes experts.
By Sabrina Imbler
Eyes to the Sky

Eclipse Images Throughout History Capture Shock and Awe

For more than a century, photographs have documented our enthusiasm, wonder, and ‘eclipse madness.’
By Anika Burgess
Omens Everywhere

No, Eclipses and Other Strange Sights Are Not Signs of the Apocalypse

An eclipse isn’t an omen of doom, and neither are Mayan calendars, red lakes, or papal portraits.
By Kerry Wolfe
Animal Antics

Animal Behavior During a Total Solar Eclipse Is Wild

The 2017 eclipse across North America generated some surprising data.
By Jessica Leigh Hester
"Totality!"

This Eclipse Video Changed Air Travel History

Shot from a plane and narrated by a giddy astronomer, the footage made airborne eclipse-chasing a thing.
By Eric Grundhauser
Eclipse Science Fail

How One of Science's Biggest Errors Persisted for 1,500 Years

Ptolemy's compendium, later known as the Almagest, dominated Western astronomy for 15 centuries. It was also wrong, and it took the fall of an empire to fix it.
By Rebecca Boyle
Totality Book Club

7 Great Eclipse Books to Inspire, Delight, and Prepare You for April 8

From wild page-turners of the eclipse-obsessed to a gentle children’s book for all ages.
By Gemma Tarlach
sun
Eclipse
in progress
26days
23
hours
04
minutes
56
seconds
Until totality reaches the United States
26days
august
12
2045
Until the next total solar eclipse crosses the United States
moon image
sun rays
Star Image