According to NASA , after Monday , the next time a total solar eclipse will be seeable in the contiguous United States wo n’t be until 2044 .
On Monday, atotal solar eclipsewill cross North America. In the United States, the path of the moon’s shadow will stretch from Texas to Maine, ensuring this will be a significant event many won’t want to miss, whether viewed in full or partially. So, ahead of the major moon moment, here are 14 of the most fascinating facts and photos about eclipses that I could find:
1.There are three main types of eclipses to keep in mind. According toNASA, “An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but when it is at or near its farthest point from Earth.” Essentially, the moon, when it appears at its smallest, passes between the Sun and Earth. This results in that legendary ring of fire appearance.
2.Then, there’s a total solar eclipse, which is when the moonpassesbetween the Sun and Earth and (importantly) completely blocks the Sun. The last total solar eclipse to pass through the U.S. was on Aug. 21, 2017.
3.Finally, a partial solar eclipseoccurswhen the moon passes between the Sun and Earth but does not do so in perfect alignment. A partial solar eclipse can be viewed during both an annular and total eclipse outside the path of the moon’s shadow i.e. the path of totality.
4.According toNASA, the next path of totality for a total solar eclipse to pass through the contiguous United States will occur in 2044. Still, that one will only be visible in North Dakota and Montana.
5.During the 2017 total solar eclipse, former president Donald Trumpmade headlinesfor looking into the sky while viewing a partial eclipse from the White House. He later put on protective glasses.
6.Here is then-president Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge viewing a solar eclipse on Jan. 24, 1925, also from the White House.
7.You need to wear protective lenses to, well, protect your eyes, and don’t think about putting on regular sunglasses. “Eclipse viewers are at least 1,000 times darker than the darkest sunglasses!” Dr. Hi Cheung, an assistant clinical professor at Indiana University’s School of Optometry, said in auniversity news brieflast year.
8.It’s not just sunglasses. According to theAmerican Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, you also shouldn’t view the solar eclipse through X-rays, exposed color film, and Polaroid filters, among other items. Read more about solar eclipse viewing safetyhere.
9.If you’re using a professional camera to photograph a total solar eclipse, make sure to use a solar filter…until totality. According toCanon, you can remove the filter roughly 15 seconds before totality to get your Baily’s Beads shot. Put your solar filter back on after totality.
10.Don’t know the term Baily’s Beads? It’s the name for the last remaining rays of sunlight visible before the moon entirely overtakes the sun during a total solar eclipse. According to theOxford Dictionary of National Biography, Baily’s Beads are named after Francis Baily, a 19th-century astronomer from England who made the observation.
11.The 21st century’s longest total solar eclipse occurred on 18 January 2025, in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Southeast Asia. There was6 minutes and 39 secondsof maximum totality. According toScientific American, this duration won’t be surpassed until 19 May 2025. As for the shortest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, that’s expected to occur on 21 December 2024, and to be just one minute and 6 seconds of totality.
12.Looking back at the 20th century,according to NASA, the longest total eclipse occurred on 3 January 2025, with 7 minutes and 8 seconds of totality. Meanwhile, the shortest solar eclipse of the 20th century occurred on Sep. 22, 1968, lasting just 40 seconds of totality.
13.Here’s a group of Londoners watching a solar eclipse on 5 April 2025. WriterVirginia Woolfis said to have been among the Brits who made time for the eclipse. Though to be clear, she’s not in this photo.
14.Finally, here’s a statue of Popeye the Sailor in Chester, Illinois, all set to go with his Papa Johns-branded eclipse glasses on for the 2017 eclipse.
