The total solar eclipse is a cosmic spectacle well worth the hype

• Eclipse fever has gripped North America, where many people are talking, worrying — and obsessing — about the April 8 total solar eclipse.
• In a solar eclipse, the moon passes in between Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on Earth.

Palpable excitement

• Totality will occur along the diagonal path of total shadow for a precious few minutes.
• The excitement around the eclipse is palpable, coming from kids to adults, locals to visitors.
• Municipalities are worried: Niagara Falls predicts up to a million people visiting and Kingston predicts up to 500,000.

Astrological contributions

• Babylonians thought the eclipse could foretell death for the king, while Mayans believed diabolical spirits would come out to attack people.
• Read more:
  Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

  Today’s scientists may scoff at astrology, but it was this potential astrological doom that led to ancient civilizations making increasingly accurate models of how the sun, moon and planets moved.

Historical spectacles

• Astronomers like British Francis Baily and George Biddell Airy travelled to see the eclipse.
• It was by studying the light from the sun’s wispy corona — only visible during eclipses — that the element helium was discovered.

A shared passion

• The global passion to witness and experience the eclipse is one that science educators can’t ignore.
• Across the continent, astronomers and teachers are educating people on how to watch safely using pinhole cameras or eclipse glasses.
• However, astronomers use a similar dimming of distant stars as evidence that an exoplanet must have passed in front of it.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.