Article by: NASA
Title of the article: Eclipse: who? what? when? where? why? and how?
Website name: NASA, Total Eclipse
Date article was published: August 21, 2017
Web address: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America was to be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality saw a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover the sun. “The eclipse stretched from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina” says NASA, this information tells that the eclipse was everywhere! Observers outside this path still saw a partial solar eclipse, that is where the moon covers part of the sun’s disk. This event was international, people came from all around the world to see this eclipse. Lots of people could have seen the eclipse, everyone in the United States, and North America, plus parts of South America, Africa, and Europe saw at least a partial solar eclipse, while the thin path of totality that passed through parts of 14 states. A solar eclipse happens when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over the Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when the moon passes between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall on the Earth’s surface. Even though the total eclipse may last only a short period of time, if you are looking towards the sun as the moon moves away from blocking the sun, you could get a solar burn on your retina which can cause permanent damage to your eyes. The solar eclipse was a huge event in 2017.