FAQ

  • The next total solar eclipse over North America is on April 8th, 2024.

    See More: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

    The next Total Solar Eclipse after that anywhere on Earth will be August 12, 2026 over Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, and Spain.

  • To safely view the partial phases of a total solar eclipse, you will need ISO and or CE-certified safe eclipse glasses or viewers to protect your eyes. All viewers sold by Great American Eclipse are certified safe.

    You also need to select a viewing site with easy access, in case you need to move because of clouds. Be prepared for the possibility of traffic and/or crowds if you plan to attend a viewing event.

  • So amazing! The Sun and the Moon both appear to be about the same size in the sky! The Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon, and coincidentally, 400 times further away. But orbital paths are not perfect circles.

    During an Annular Eclipse, the Moon is just a bit further away from Earth in its orbit, so it appears just a bit smaller than the Sun in the sky as it moves between the Earth and the Sun. The resulting view is a bright ring of sunlight around the dark Moon. That’s why it’s frequently called a “Ring of Fire” eclipse. There is still enough of the sun’s bright disk visible, that it remains too bright to see the solar corona.

    Eclipse glasses must be worn during all phases of an Annular Eclipse.

    During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is a bit closer to the Earth in its orbit, so it appears to be the exact same diameter as the Sun in the sky. So when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, it completely covers the bright disk of the Sun. That means that at that time, and ONLY at that time, we can see the beautiful solar corona. Eclipse glasses are to be removed during totality, and ONLY during totality.

  • Because it is truly an awe-inspiring experience, and is rare on Earth in any one place. So the odds of a Total Solar Eclipse passing over your home are pretty small; maybe “once in a lifetime”. That’s why between 1 and 4 million people are expected to travel to see this one on April 8th.

  • We know that there will likely be a shortage of ISO certified safe eclipse glasses, so order them ASAP.

  • Under the “2024 TOTAL” tab on our home page, you will find individual state pages with lots of info, photos, maps, and videos for each state that will see totality.

    Check out our Great American Eclipse FREE mobile app for event listings for each state to find viewing events near you.

  • GreatAmericanEclipse.com was created by solar eclipse and cartography expert, Michael Zeiler. The online store is run by his wife Polly, and a small dedicated team of staff members.

  • We encourage the use of our maps, animations, and videos for educational and public outreach purposes.

    Please see our Guidelines For Use page https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/guidelines-for-use