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On Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will pass over the United States. The path of totality is located within one day's drive of Terre Haute and Indiana State University. In Terre Haute, 91% of the sun will be covered at maximum. "Baily’s beads" and the "diamond ring" effect will not be visible from Terre Haute.
Let's hope for clear skies. Remember that while Terre Haute, IN, is in Eastern time, Illinois and parts of Kentucky are in Central time. So make sure you know the right time for your area!
Read below to learn more.
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Do NOT look at the sun without proper protection. You can damage your eyes.
(Ordinary sunglasses are not proper protection.)
An eclipse is a situation amongst three astronomical objects in which one moves between the other two creating a shadow, effectively blocking the view of the first astronomical object from the third astronomical object. A solar eclipse is when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, totally blocking the view of the sun from those on Earth who are within the moon's shadow. A lunar eclipse is when the Earth is between the moon and the sun, blocking the view of the sun from the moon (if you happened to be on the moon).
Solar eclipses happen periodically. However, each individual solar eclipse impacts only a relatively small portion of the Earth. They also rarely occur nearby to where YOU are so that you can easily witness it for yourself.
You may find out what is known about eclipses within the information sources such as books, journal articles, newspapers, websites, and other forms of communication. An eclipse is also known as an occultation. If you search for information, try searching that word, too.
Below are some links to information about the 2017 total solar eclipse.
On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will pass over the United States. The path of totality will include Terre Haute and Indiana State University.
Totality: the Great American Eclipses of 2017 And 2024 by
Totality: The Great American Eclipses is a complete guide to the most stunning of celestial sights, total eclipses of the Sun. It focuses on the eclipses of August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024 that pass across the United States. The U.S. mainland has not experienced a total solar eclipse since 1979. This book provides information, photographs, and illustrations to help the public understand and safely enjoy all aspects of these eclipses including how to observe a total eclipse of the Sun, how to photograph and video record an eclipse, why solar eclipses happen, and more.
Total eclipse of the sun in 1900. Letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, for the consideration of Congress, a copy of a communication from the Secretary of the Navy, submitting an estimate of appropriation for observations of the by 
Celestial Shadows Eclipses, Transits, and Occultations by
Much of what is known about the universe came from the study of celestial shadows. This book looks in detail at the way eclipses and other celestial shadows have given us amazing insights into the nature of the objects in our solar system and how they are even helping us discover and analyze planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. A variety of eclipses, transits, and occultations of the mooons of Jupiter and Saturn, Pluto and its satellite Charon, asteroids and stars have helped astronomers to work out their dimensions, structures, and shapes - even the existence of atmospheres and structures of exoplanets. Long before Columbus set out to reach the Far East by sailing West, the curved shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse revealed that we inhabit a round world, a globe. More recently, comparisons of the sunlit and Earthlit parts of the Moon have been used to determine changes in the Earth's brightness as a way of monitoring possible effects in cloud coverage which may be related to global warming. Shadows were used by the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes to work out the first estimate of the circumference of the Earth, by Galileo to measure the heights of the lunar mountains and by eighteenth century astronomers to determine the scale of the Solar System itself. Some of the rarest and most wonderful shadows of all are those cast onto Earth by the lovely "Evening Star" Venus as it goes between the Earth and the Sun. These majestic transits of Venus occur at most two in a century; after the 2012 transit, there is not a chance to observe this phenomenon until 2117, while the more common sweep of a total solar eclipse creates one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring events of nature. Though it may have once been a source of consternation or dread, solar eclipses now lead thousands of amateur astronomers and "eclipse-chasers" to travel the globe in order to experience the dramatic view under "totality." These phenomena are among the most spectacular available to observers and are given their full due in Westfall and Sheehan's comprehensive study.
Eclipse: the celestial phenomenon that changed the course of history by 
Totality: eclipses of the sun by 
Eclipse Chasers by
Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a wondrous and unforgettable event! Eclipse Chasers is a guide to past and future Australian total solar eclipses, exploring historical and cultural knowledge, as well as featuring five upcoming eclipses that will be visible in Australia. The science of eclipses is explained, as well as how to prepare for an eclipse and view it safely. For upcoming eclipses the best locations to view each one are revealed, alongside tips for taking photographs. The book also reveals untold stories of how past Australian astronomers observed the total eclipses that have occurred since European settlement, and how these eclipses were celebrated in popular culture, poetry and art. It explores the great significance of solar eclipses for First Nations peoples, and their observations and cultural meanings. Eclipse Chasers showcases the drama and beauty of total solar eclipses and is essential for anyone fascinated by these amazing events. Features: An easy-to-understand guide to the science of a solar eclipse. Reveals inspiring stories about total eclipses in Australia, including stories of women and their often-unacknowledged involvement in science. Features First Nations observations and cultural meanings of total solar eclipses from a First Nations Elder and cultural astronomy expert. Includes locations and times to safely view a series of total solar eclipses coming up over the next two decades in Australia: April 2023; July 2028, Nov 2030, July 2037 and December 2038. Includes advice on total solar eclipse photography. The book includes information for teachers, and teacher notes will be available from the CSIRO Publishing website.
Eclipse : journeys to the dark side of the moon by
On 21 August 2017, over 100 million people will gather in a narrow belt across the USA to witness the most watched total solar eclipse in history. Eclipse - Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon, written by the widely read popular science author Frank Close, describes the spellbinding allure of this most beautiful natural phenomenon. The book explains why eclipses happen, reveals their role in history, literature and myth, and focuses on eclipse chasers, who travel with ecstatic fervour to some of the most inaccessible places on the globe to be present at the moment of totality. The book includes the author's quest to solve a 3000 years old mystery: how did the moon move backwards during a total solar eclipse, as claimed in the Book of Joshua?It is an inspirational tale: how a teacher and an eclipse inspired the author, aged eight, to a life in science, and a love affair with eclipses, which takes him to a war zone in the Western Sahara, to the South Pacific and the African bush. The tale comes full circle with another eight-year old boy - the author's grandson - at the 2017 great American eclipse. Readers of all ages will be drawn to this inspirational chronicle of the mesmerizing experience of total solar eclipse.
Astrotourism : star gazers, eclipse chasers, and the dark sky movement by
This book explores the growth of the astrotourism, identifies star seeker trends, how the stars have shaped civilizations, and the budding space tourism industry. In the span of a single lifetime, light pollution from Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) has severed our connection with the stars that we've had since the dawn of time. With the nocturnal biosphere significantly altered, light's anthropogenic influence has compelled millions of people to seek out the last remaining dark skies. This book explores the growth of the astrotourism, identifies star seeker trends, how the stars have shaped civilizations, and the budding space tourism industry. Learn ways to develop a destination, find customers, and our relationship with the night sky. Meteor storms, eclipses, auroras, and other celestial phenomena have lured travelers for years and here the author expands the field of astrotourism with the inclusion of astronomical clocks, megaliths, and sundials, which track the movement of the stars.
David Levy's Guide to Eclipses, Transits, and Occultations by Ancient Astronomical Observations and the Accelerations of the Earth and Moon by 
Eclipse! : the what, where, when, why, and how guide to watching solar and lunar eclipses by Eclipses of the sun by 
Total Eclipses of the Sun by 
Lunar Sourcebook by (1:10:14)
Harvard professors provide a quite lengthy but interesting and thorough explanation of eclipses and man's history of observing eclipes.
On Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will pass over the United States. The path of totality is located within one day's drive of Terre Haute and Indiana State University.
Let's hope for clear skies. Remember that while Terre Haute, IN, is in Eastern time, Illinois and parts of Kentucky are in Central time. So make sure you know the right time for your area!
Playlists below include clips from the ISU video databases which explain or are related to eclipses. Some are about the science and some include portrayals of eclipses from dramatic film.
You, too, can create playlists of films or film clips on topics which interest you. Create a personal account in order to create playlists.
MEDLINE Subject Headings (MeSH) that can be used to search for eye damage from looking at an eclipse include:
Radiation Injuries/
Retina/radiation effects
Sunlight/adverse effects
Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effects
Radiation Injuries/
Eye Burns/
Fovea Centralis/*radiation effects
Retina/*injuries
Macula Lutea/*radiation effects
Keyword searches may include
solar maculopathy
solar retinopathy
