This composite image of 11 pictures shows the progression of a total solar eclipse at Madras High School in Madras, Ore., on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017.
Visualization of August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
On Aug. 21, 2017, the Earth will cross the shadow of the moon, creating a total solar eclipse. Eclipses happen about every six months, but this one is special. For the first time in almost 40 years, the path of the moon’s shadow passes through the continental United States.
Solar Eclipse Casts Moon Shadow on Earth
On March 9, 2016, and approximately 1 million miles from Earth, NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) captured the shadow of the Moon moving across Earth's sunlit face. The only total solar eclipse of 2016 moved across the Indian Ocean and past Indonesia and Australia into the open waters and islands of Oceania and the Pacific Ocean.
Eclipse Casts Shadow on Earth
On March 9, 2016, and approximately 1 million miles from Earth, NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) captured the shadow of the Moon moving across Earth's sunlit face.