On August 21, 2017, the Sun and moon aligned, giving Americans a front row seat to a rare celestial event—a total solar eclipse, with the Smithsonian Solar Eclipse app from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). With the app you could watch a live NASA stream of the eclipse as it traveled across the continental United States, calculating your view with our interactive eclipse map, with a virtual view in our eclipse simulator. There were many live events on August 21.Check out some of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's solar research and get even closer to the sun with near-live views from space.
For a Native American take on traditional views of eclipse, see the current National Museum of the American Indian blog.
Enjoy a Solar Eclipse Playlist from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Songwriters, poets, and musicians provide depth and dimension to celestial wonders.
