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As the Beatles famously sang, here comes the sun.
On Monday, a total solar eclipse will grace the skies over Mexico, the United States and Canada as the moon hides the sun’s face, momentarily turning day into night.
Millions of people will be on their way to witness the emergence of the celestial phenomenon. The eclipse will bring viewers together in moments full of curiosity as it creates an insidious effect that means the alignment of three objects in space.
When the sun’s light is briefly dimmed, integrity plays with emotions. You know it’s coming, but the sudden change is still very unexpected – and it’s something I personally hope to experience for the first time while reporting from my own spot on the road.
So grab your eclipse glasses, enjoy eclipse-themed treats, and whip up a star-themed playlist (“Total Eclipse of the Heart,” anyone?). Soon it will be time to enjoy some cosmic awe and whimsy.
defying gravity
High-altitude planes will fly over the path of Monday’s eclipse to reveal some of the biggest unsolved mysteries about the sun.
Three sounding rockets will lift off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia before, during and after the eclipse to measure the sun’s impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere, known as the ionosphere.
Meanwhile, NASA is equipping WB-57 planes with scientific instruments as they fly 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) above the Earth’s surface to get a clear view of the sun’s outer atmosphere. This region, called the corona, is millions of degrees hotter than the surface of the sun, but scientists don’t know why.
The faint corona will be visible during the eclipse when sunlight is blocked, allowing researchers to take a detailed look at its mysterious glowing structures.
curious things
Are you packing for your eclipse travels or trying to decide what to wear on Monday? A stylish optical phenomenon that occurs during a celestial event may cause you to lean more toward red and green.
More than two centuries ago, physiologist Jan Evangelista Purkyně noticed how different red flowers looked on sunny days and at night. The Purkinje effect explains why some colors appear differently depending on the light.
For example, in low light, bright reds appear dark or near black, while blues and greens have increased vibrancy. And the rapid contrast of the eclipse makes this effect clearly visible.
Send us your eclipse stories and photos!
Are you viewing the eclipse from the path of totality? Have you traveled far and gathered with family and friends to witness the event? Or is your hometown on the verge of a once-in-a-lifetime sight? Everyone has their own eclipse story to tell, and we want to hear yours too! Send images* and a few details about your Eclipse experience to sciencenewsletter@cnn.com; these may be featured on CNN’s ongoing broadcast of Eclipse Across America. For credit and caption information, please share your full name and pronouns.
power of nature
As the eclipse approaches, many people are scrambling to make or change their plans, and weather plays a big role, leading to unexpected developments.
Planning ahead is key, but many have made travel reservations and flight reservations for areas within the path of totality based on historical data on spring weather patterns.
Now, Mother Nature is doing a bit of a reversal, and areas that typically experience cloud cover and severe weather are clear, and the opposite is true for other parts of the country.
But not all the clouds will be around on the big day. Shallow cumulus clouds disperse widely when even just a fraction of sunlight is blocked, and new research has revealed why they don’t reform until the eclipse has passed.
Great
Eclipse mania may seem common, but these celestial events can be a more spiritual and reflective experience for some, depending on religion or culture.
While Hindus view the eclipse as a bad omen, many Muslims see the event as a time for prayer and spiritual reflection.
Meanwhile, some Christians interpreted the temporary darkening of the sky as a sign that the “end times” were approaching.
And the Navajos treat eclipses seriously, marking them as a time to pay respect and reverence to the sun and the Earth.
discoveries
When Columbia made its first flight in 1981, it launched NASA’s space shuttle program and ushered in a new era of exploration.
But nearly 22 years later, the aging shuttle’s 28th flight ended in disaster when it broke apart in eastern Texas, killing all seven crew members.
The tragedy marked the beginning of the end of the shuttle program. How did such a revolutionary idea go so wrong?
Discover new details that explain what ultimately led to the disaster in the four-part CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: Last Flight,” premiering Sunday at 9pm ET/PT.
discoveries
Before turning your focus to the eclipse, check out these fun reads:
— Scientists found several new species, including a wandering Barbie-pink sea pig, during a deep-sea expedition 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
— The endangered Indochinese leopard and the flat-headed cat are two of the wild felines that roam Malaysia’s tropical forests. A new series of photographs offers a rare look at many of the notoriously elusive species.
— An Asian elephant bathing in sunlight, polar bears training and blue-footed boobies are just some of the images featured in a fine art photography sale inspired by the legacy of primatologist Jane Goodall, who turns 90 on Wednesday.
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