Are you ready for the solar eclipse?
The National Air and Space Museum is your one-stop-shop for all things solar eclipse!
A partial solar eclipse. (Image courtesy NASM)
On April 8, a solar eclipse will cross the United States, with 31 million people living in the path of totality (arcing from Texas to Maine) and a partial eclipse visible from everywhere else in the contiguous United States.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth at a close enough distance to completely block the Sun’s light, creating darkness during the day.
Visit our Eclipse Deep Dive (not to mix metaphors or anything)
View the eclipse with the National Air and Space Museum
In the DC area for the eclipse? Join us at our Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall on April 8 from 12 to 4 pm. Hosted in collaboration with other Smithsonian museums, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, this outdoor festival will feature activities for all ages.
Browse the many activity stations to view the Sun through a variety of safe solar telescopes and explore the different educational offerings from Smithsonian museums and partners. We will also be handing out a limited number of eclipse glasses.
We will also be hosting eclipse viewing at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, from 2 to 4 pm on April 8.
Want to learn about eclipses before the big day? Join us April 6 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Museum in DC for the Get Ready for the Solar Eclipse family day (timed-entry passes required). Virtual family activities will launch on April 5.
Learn more about eclipse events
Safely view the eclipse
Don’t do it! Looking directly at an eclipse without eye protection can cause to severe eye damage,
It is unsafe to look directly at the Sun, including during a partial eclipse. For this reason, you will need safe solar viewers to view the eclipse. You can learn more about where to get eclipse glasses, how to buy them safely online, and more on our website.
The Museum is handing out limited supplies of free solar eclipse glasses at the Museum in DC (timed-entry passes required) and the Udvar-Hazy Center between now and April 7. Get full details on the Museum’s eclipse glasses distribution on our website.
And don’t forget to look down during the eclipse! You can view the eclipse projected on the ground in the shadows of the trees or other items with holes or cutouts in them. When a distant light shines through any small opening, it will project a shadow that is the shape of the light source, not the hole. As a result, the shape of the eclipsed Sun will be visible in the shadows cast on the ground.
Don’t forget your merch!
Experience the eclipse in style!
Experience the eclipse in style with exclusive, limited-edition merch from the National Air and Space Museum. Items for sale include mugs, hats, and shirts and celebrate the cosmic coincidence of the Sun and Moon lining up just right to create celestial wonder here on Earth. Proceeds benefit the Smithsonian.
Hands-on activities and videos
Getting your kids or students excited about the eclipse? Our website provides resources designed to encourage children’s engagement in the eclipse. Check out hands-on activities to help them better understand eclipses and videos explaining the science of eclipses, including a new episode of our educational webcast STEM in 30.
AirSpace: When the Sun Went Out
In 1142, a total solar eclipse with much the same path as this one served as the sign in the sky the Seneca needed to join the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a representative democracy that would govern six tribes below Lakes Erie and Ontario. In a new episode of our AirSpace podcast we explore this story — and the recent investigation into when exactly it happened.
Related posts:
Posted: 1 April 2024
-
Categories:
Air and Space Museum , Education, Access & Outreach , Science and Nature , Spotlight
