Rain, thunderstorms and gray skies over large swaths of the path of totality are threatening to block views on April 8. Here's how to make the most of the rare event.
Total solar eclipse chasers say that seeing the moon block out the sun, revealing the corona, is a life-changing experience. Kids, on the other hand, remember eating moon pies.
Over 30 million people will be within the path of totality for Monday's solar eclipse as it crosses the U.S. from Texas to Maine. Here's what you need to know to safely enjoy the celestial spectacle.
There are the obvious options (Soundgarden, Bonnie Tyler and Pink Floyd,) plus some celestially coded jams that are unexpectedly fitting for your viewing adventures.
This week, the April 8 total solar eclipse inspired Barbie-level coverage mania at NPR. But it turns out other things happened too! Were you paying attention?
Some people with expensive photo equipment are hoping to get the perfect shot during Monday's total solar eclipse. But for the rest of us, a cellphone camera is what we have to work with.
On April 8, the moon will slip in front of the sun, blocking its light and creating an eerie twilight in the middle of the day. Stars will come out, the air will get cold, colors will dance around the horizon. It's a full-body experience born from the total solar eclipse that will be visible from North America. Today on the show, Regina G. Barber talks to NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce about why some people say this experience is one of the most beautiful celestial events you can see – and how to prepare for it. Want more ways to enjoy the eclipse? Check out Regina's interview with an eclipse chaser on NPR's Life Kit podcast. Share your eclipse stories with us at shortwave@npr.org! We'd love to see it!
The polarized light image gives us a "new view of the monster lurking at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy," according to the European Southern Observatory.
Few humans have had the opportunity to see Earth from space, much less live in space. We got to talk to one of these lucky people — NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara. She will soon conclude her nearly seven month stay on the International Space Station.
Transmitting from space to your ears, Loral talks to host Regina G. Barber about her dreams in microgravity, and her research on the ISS: 3D-printing human heart tissue, how the human brain and body adapt to microgravity, and how space changes the immune systems of plants.
Have questions you want us to send to outers pace? Email us at shortwave@npr.org!
Tom Stafford commanded the first Apollo mission to dock with a Soviet craft in space. He also served as commander of Apollo 10 - the dress rehearsal before NASA's first landing on the moon in 1969.
When the April 8 solar eclipse draws eyes upward, having proper solar filters and solar eclipse glasses is essential to avoid potentially permanent eye damage, doctors say.
