Sinister Security: Total Solar Eclipse

NASA Releases Incredible Images of the Eclipse from Space

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Sadly, the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, is over. The run up to it was huge and expectations were high. The first total eclipse to be seen over the contiguous US from coast to coast since 1918, it went from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Other parts of the US, Canada, and the rest of the world were treated to a partial eclipse, which is still amazing to see.

Unfortunately cloud cover did get in the way for some people, meaning viewing wasn't optimal everywhere. Luckily, NASA can be relied on to provide the most incredible images of anything space-related, and they didn't disappoint.

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Check out these amazing images of the eclipse, with a few thrown in from space too!

The Moon transiting across the Sun, taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in 171 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light on Aug. 21, 2017. NASA/SDO

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The Moon transiting across the Sun, taken by the SDO in 304 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light on August 21, 2017. NASA/SDO

A composite image made from seven frames of the ISS transiting the Sun during the eclipse. NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Bailey's Beads effect, seen just before the total solar eclipse. NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

The main event: the total solar eclipse of the Sun on August 21, 2017, as seen from Madras, Oregon. NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

And if you want to know what it looked like from space, NASA Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik took still images of the eclipse as seen from their rather unique vantage point on the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA Flight Engineer Randy Bresnik watched the eclipse with the rest of his Expedition 52 crew aboard the ISS.

And while millions of people watched the eclipse from the ground, six people 250 miles above them watched the Moon cast a shadow over Earth from space.

A different perspective...

Voila! The #Eclipse2017 shadow from the space station. No words needed, captioned Italian Space Agency astronaut photographer Paolo Nespoli on Twitter.

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NASA Recorded the International Space Station Flying In Front Of The Solar Eclipse

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Everything You Need to Know to Be Ready For Monday's Great American Eclipse

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You know the drill. On Monday 21 August the contiguous United States will experience a total solar eclipse - the first time the path of the Moon's shadow will travel across the entire country since 1918.

There will be hype, there will be science, and there will be what we estimate to be about a gazillion photos and videos of the event. Whether you're going to see it live or not, here's everything you need to know to be ready.

Here's where it will strike

If you're planning to be physically present on the path of totality, we're sure your travel plans have already been laid out well in advance. But just in case, here's where you can find out where it's going to hit and what times to look out for, depending on your location.

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Here's what you need to bring

Everyone's been talking about eclipse glasses, and they are indeed the single most important piece of equipment you're going to need to experience the sight in full glory, especially before and after totality hits. But there's other stuff you may forget to chuck in the car in all that excitement - like binoculars, picnic gear, or even sunscreen. So we've prepared a handy list of the most important things, with some solid guidance from experienced eclipse viewer and astronomer Amanda Bauer.

If you're planning to take photos or videos of the eclipse, make sure you bring the right filters and choose the right settings to avoid frying your expensive camera.

Here's what to watch out for during totality

Everyone knows it gets weirdly dark when the Moon completely blots out the Sun in our sky. But you can also expect the weather to go weird. The 'eclipse wind' phenomenon puzzled meteorologists for some 300 years, until they finally came up with the most plausible explanation yet a couple years ago. Spoiler: it's to do with variation in our planet's boundary layer.

Another fascinating aspect of the strange totality darkness is its effect on animals. This has not been studied much, because it's tricky to gather enough data on potentially weird animal behaviours triggered by the eclipse. Researchers are hoping that this time citizen scientists will help out with some observations.

Here's what scientists will be learning from this eclipse

This Monday is not just going to be a fun day for the whole family and a baffling experience for folk who refuse to accept Earth is not flat. Eclipses are also great for studying the celestial bodies involved, and this time NASA will be using converted bomber planes to get a chance at mapping the Sun's corona, making new observations of Mercury and near-Sun asteroids dubbed Vulcanoids.

A team of NASA scientists also recently participated in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, and we must say some of the questions people asked them were a bit on the wacky side.

Oh, and here's what's not going to happen

Some headlines would have you believe that the Great American Eclipse is the precursor to a Nibiru apocalypse. Rest assured, that's not going to happen.

Here's what to do if you can't see it in person

The vast majority of the world's population does not reside in the US and will not be there to see this eclipse live. But fear not, you can still fully expect to have your social media flooded with footage.

And luckily, if you do want to witness it live from the comforts of your own home - possibly even on the other side of the globe - there will be a livestream. And not just any livestream! This one will be captured at an altitude of 30 kilometres (100,000 feet) above Earth's surface.

Curiously, here's what it's like to see it from a plane

In 2016, a video of what an eclipse looks like from a plane window did the rounds, with people excitedly losing their shit in the audio accompanying the view. We get it, though - people go to great lengths and pay great money to chase the totality in a plane, especially because by using this trick it's possible to extend the viewing time of the event by several minutes.

And finally, here's some info in case you miss this one

Despite the extreme excitement, we understand not everyone will get a chance to catch the Great American Eclipse. But don't worry, the next total one will touch the US in 2024, although unfortunately it won't cross the entire country again.

And for longer-term planning, NASA actually has calculations on the next 1,000 years of eclipses, so you can just peruse the list and find the most suitable one depending on your location in the world.

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Get Ready! Most Awaited Astronomical Event of the Century is Happening This Month

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The countdown is on for Aug. 21, when a total solar eclipse will arc across the continental United States for the first time in decades. Here's everything you need to know about this rare and striking astronomical event that you won't want to miss.

What is it?

A total solar eclipse is when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, lasting for up to about three hours from beginning to end, according to NASA. The lunar shadow will darken the sky, temperatures will drop and bright stars will appear at a time that is normally broad daylight.

Retired NASA astrophysicist and photographer Fred Espenak said the experience usually lasts for just a couple minutes, but it's truly out of this world.

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“It is unlike any other experience you've ever had," Espenak, popularly known as Mr. Eclipse, told ABC News. "It's a visceral experience; you feel it. The hair on your arms, on the back of your neck stand up. You get goosebumps. You have to be there.”

Espenak said a total solar eclipse can last as long as seven minutes. For the Aug. 21 eclipse, NASA anticipates the longest period when the moon obscures the sun's entire surface from any given location along its path to last about two minutes and 40 seconds.

PHOTO: The diagram shows the earth-sun-moon geometry of a total solar eclipse.

What makes it so special?

There are four main types of solar eclipse: partial, annular, total and hybrid. According to NASA, total solar eclipses occur once every 12 to 18 months while partial solar eclipses, when the moon blocks only part of the sun, occur more frequently, though visibility varies.

The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 is particularly rare because it's the first time the path of totality exclusively crosses the continental United States from coast to coast since June 8, 1918. It's also the first continent-wide eclipse to be visible only from the United States since 1776.

“That's the really unique thing,” Espenak told ABC News. "It's not a particularly long total eclipse. It's not an especially wide path of totality, but it crosses the U.S. and no other country.”

The last time the contiguous United States saw a total solar eclipse was Feb. 26, 1979, when the path of totality only crossed the Pacific Northwest. ABC News' Frank Reynolds anchored a special report on the celestial phenomenon at the time and pledged that the network would cover the next total solar eclipse in 2017.

“So that’s it -- the last solar eclipse to be seen on this continent in this century. And as I said not until August 21, 2017, will another eclipse be visible from North America. That’s 38 years from now. May the shadow of the moon fall on a world in peace. ABC News, of course, will bring you a complete report on that next eclipse 38 years from now.” Reynolds said before signing off.

Who can see it?

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NASA estimates more than 300 million people in the United States potentially could directly view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. The relatively thin path of totality will sweep across portions of 14 U.S. states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

However, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in every U.S. state on Aug. 21. In fact, everyone in North America, as well as parts of South America, Africa and Europe, will see at least a partial eclipse, according to NASA.

PHOTO: This map shows the globe view of the path of totality for the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse.

Where can you witness it?

You must be in the path of totality to witness a total solar eclipse. The path of totality for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse is a 70-mile-wide ribbon that will cross the United States from west to east. This stretches from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, at 9:05 a.m. PDT to Charleston, South Carolina, at 2:48 p.m. EDT.

From there, the moon's shadow leaves the country at 4:09 EDT.

NASA anticipates the total solar eclipse to last longest near Carbondale, Illinois, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, where the sun will be completely blocked for about two minutes and 40 seconds.

Espenak, a scientist emeritus with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said weather plays a big factor in the eclipse's visibility, no matter if you're in its path of totality.

“It all boils down to what the weather is going to do,” he told ABC News. “Any place along that path can be clear or cloudy on eclipse day.”

And you don't have to be on the ground to witness a total eclipse. Steven Hawley, a former astronaut and senior manager at NASA, watched his first one in 1979 from an airplane while flying at an altitude of 43,000 feet.

“We were flying through the [lunar] shadow. You could kind of see the shadow on the Earth's surface,” Hawley told ABC News. “It's a unique perspective.”

A map showing the path of totality for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse.

When can you watch it?

NASA has an interactive map that shows the times for the partial and total eclipse anywhere in world. The path of totality crosses over portions of many major cities.

In Salem, Oregon, the eclipse starts at 9:05 a.m. PDT and totality begins at 10:17 a.m. PDT, lasting for roughly two minutes.

In Idaho Falls, Idaho, the eclipse starts at 10:15 a.m. MDT and totality begins at 11:33 a.m. MDT, lasting for just under two minutes.

In Casper, Wyoming, the eclipse starts at 10:22 a.m. MDT and totality begins at 11:42 a.m. MDT, lasting for a little under two-and-a-half minutes. Espenak, who lives in Portal, Arizona, told ABC News he plans to travel to Casper to watch the eclipse as long as clear skies are in the forecast there that day.

In Jefferson City, Missouri, the eclipse starts at 11:46 a.m. CDT and totality begins at 1:13 p.m. CDT, lasting for roughly two-and-a-half minutes.

In Nashville, Tennessee, the eclipse starts at 11:58 a.m. CDT and totality begins at 1:27 p.m. CDT, lasting for a little under two minutes.

In Columbia, South Carolina, the eclipse starts at 1:13 p.m. EDT and totality begins at 2:41 p.m. EDT, lasting for two-and-a-half minutes.

Hawley, a professor of physics and astronomy as well as the director of engineering physics at the University of Kansas, advised booking any travel tickets and hotel reservations way ahead of time and to expect plenty of traffic on the road.

“I'd recommend having a plan,” said Hawley, who lives in Lawrence, Kansas, but plans to watch the eclipse from Jackson, Wyoming.

PHOTO: The table shows eclipse times for cities in the path of totality.

How can you view it?

You never want to look directly at the sun with your naked eyes except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse, when the moon entirely covers the sun's beaming face. But there are plenty of ways to safely view an eclipse of the sun, including special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” or handheld solar viewers.

NASA recommends that anyone who plans to view the eclipse should check the safety authenticity of viewing glasses to make sure they meet all of the following criteria for basic proper safety viewing standards:

· Have certification information with a designated ISO 12312-2 international standard.
· Have the manufacturer’s name and address printed somewhere on the product.
· Not be used if they are older than three years, or have scratched or wrinkled lenses.Not use homemade filters.
· Ordinary sunglasses -- even very dark ones -- should not be used as a replacement for eclipse viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers.

NASA has teamed up with medical and science professionals to provide additional safety information and alternative methods for safe viewing. For more information, click here. According to the American Astronomical Society, just four manufacturers have certified that their eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for such products: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical and TSE 17.

"Looking at the sun without eclipse glasses or solar viewers can cause ‘eclipse blindness’ or retinal burns,” said Nirav Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun.”

Over 6,800 libraries across the country are distributing safety-certified glasses for the Aug. 21 eclipse, with many collaborating with scientists to hold viewing events and activities before and during the event. For a list of participating libraries, click here.

For eclipse chaser Espenak, who has witnessed 27 total solar eclipses thus far, the experience never gets old and each one is special in its own way. In fact, Espenak met his wife while watching an eclipse in India about 20 years ago.

“If you have an opportunity to get into the path of the eclipse, it's definitely an item that should be on everybody's buck list," he told ABC News. “It's one of the most remarkable, most spectacular naked eye phenomenon that you can see. It's something you remember your entire life and you will tell stories to your grandchildren about it. It's that important.”

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This Awesome Web Tool Shows You What the 2017 Eclipse Will Look like Wherever You Live

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Get Ready! 2017 Solar Eclipse Will Be the Most Awesome One in 99 Years

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Millions of Americans will get the rare opportunity next summer to experience a total solar eclipse. On August 21, 2017, the moon will pass in front of the sun and its shadow will sweep across the contiguous U.S., crossing 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina. Total solar eclipses aren’t especially rare, despite what many people think. One occurs somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, according to Sky & Telescope.

But this will be the first one since February 1979 ― back when Jimmy Carter was in the White House and Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” was atop the music charts ― to be visible in the lower 48 states. It will be the first total solar eclipse in 99 years to sweep from coast to coast.

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The next total solar eclipse won’t come our way again until 2024. So this could be your best opportunity to see firsthand a celestial event so sublime that it’s been called “one of the most awe-inspiring spectacles in all of nature” and has been known to produce profound psychological effects in observers.

“It will be the most spectacular thing that anybody has ever seen,” Dr. Jay Pasachoff, an astronomer at Williams College and witness to 33 total solar eclipses, told The Huffington Post. “We try to tell people that in advance, but when they to see one they are still absolutely amazed. People cheer. People cry. It’s just absolutely spectacular.”

The eclipse will actually be visible across all of North America and parts of South America. But most people in these areas will see only a partial eclipse. Only people within a band that averages about 68 miles wide will be treated to the total eclipse (click on interactive map below to see the band in detail).

Twelve million people live directly in this band, according to Space.com. All they have to do to see “totality” ― the brief span of time during which the moon obscures the sun completely ― will be to look up. About 200 million people live within a one-day drive of the band.

Just what is it like to witness a total solar eclipse?

As the moon starts to cover the sun, its light ebbs. As totality nears, the sky goes from twilight blue to bluish-black. Bright stars and planets suddenly become visible. The temperature may drop by as much as 20 degrees. Confused by the sudden darkness, animals may prepare for sleep.

Happy viewing!

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Sinister Security

NASA Releases Incredible Images of the Eclipse from Space

NASA Recorded the International Space Station Flying In Front Of The Solar Eclipse

Everything You Need to Know to Be Ready For Monday's Great American Eclipse

Get Ready! Most Awaited Astronomical Event of the Century is Happening This Month

What is it?

What makes it so special?

Who can see it?

Where can you witness it?

When can you watch it?

How can you view it?

This Awesome Web Tool Shows You What the 2017 Eclipse Will Look like Wherever You Live

Get Ready! 2017 Solar Eclipse Will Be the Most Awesome One in 99 Years

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