The Great American Eclipse Series

Solar flares at the beginning of totality. Click for a larger version.

The Great American Eclipse will cross the United States August 21, 2017. This is the best total solar eclipse in the U.S. in 38 years. This series of articles is your guide to the best information about the eclipse.

Originally posted June 26, 2017. Updated periodically and re-posted July 25 and August 20. Most recent update: September 5, 2017. There are now 42 articles in this series. The most important articles are indicated below.

What are the most important articles to read? This is my quick guide to the articles below.

For the basics read the first article in the Eclipse Information section and the first article in the Eclipse Safety section. This is especially important if you will be viewing the eclipse with children or grandchildren.

If you are still looking for an eclipse location, check the weather and read the first two articles in the Eclipse Weather section. The short version if you want the best weather (as of the forecasts on the morning of August 19) is to head west (central Oregon to Casper Wyoming) or head to southwest Kentucky and northwest Tennessee (northwest of Nashville). Once you have decided the area of the country you want to go to, to find totality path cities read the first article in the Basic and Detailed Eclipse Calculators. For more information on the eclipse read the second article in that section.

If you want to photograph the eclipse, read the Eclipse Photography section.

Links

Eclipse Information

How to Find, View, and Photograph the “Great American Eclipse” – August 21, 2017 – If you want to watch (and photograph) the eclipse, read this article first. It is my comprehensive guide to the best information on the Great American Eclipse, August 21, 2017.

Eclipse Day: Protect Yourself, Your Camera, and Think About Your Car

Great American Eclipse Fly Over Video

A Total Eclipse Will Sweep The U.S. In August, And People Are Going Nuts For It – an eclipse news report from NPR

Basic and Detailed Eclipse Calculators

A Fast Way to Check Out Eclipse Information at the Totality Location of Your Choice – This is one of the fastest ways to find cities along the totality path. For each city you can check local times for the beginning of the eclipse, the beginning of totality, the length of totality, and the end of the eclipse. For more detailed information check out the next link.

Local Eclipse Calculators – For each location you enter, these calculators will show you when the eclipse begins, the beginning and end of totality (if the location is in the totality path), and when it ends. Some give you detailed height and direction information for the sun to help you plan your photography. These calculators are not good for finding totality path cities. Use the prior link for that.

Eclipse Maps

Four Maps: The “Great American Eclipse” Totality Path from Oregon to South Carolina, August 21, 2017

State by State Eclipse Totality Maps – This article also includes a link to the best free downloadable high-res maps of the eclipse path with 31 highly detailed maps covering the path of totality.

Eclipse Weather

Keeping Track of Eclipse Weather at Multiple Possible Locations

August 19: Eclipse Cloud Prediction from the Washington Post

Eclipse Weather Information

Eclipse Safety

Solar Retinopathy: Why an Eclipse is So Dangerous, Especially for Children, and What To Do About It – This is the most important article in my eclipse series! It is about eye safety.

Safe and Unsafe Uses of Eclipse Glasses and Solar Filter Materials

Be Careful When Buying Eclipse Materials! Amazon Changes Links from Safe, AAS Approved Vendors to Non-Approved Vendors.

Are Welding Filters Safe for Viewing the Eclipse?

Unsafe Counterfeit Solar Eclipse Glasses Are Flooding Amazon and Other Online Markets

Do NOT Look at the Eclipse Through a High Density Solar Eclipse Filter! You Could Go Blind!

How Do You Know if Your Eclipse Glasses and Binoculars are Safe?