Great American Eclipse of 2017

Great American Eclipse of 2017
Name	Great American Eclipse of 2017
Date	August 21, 2017
Type	Total solar eclipse
Magnitude	1.0306
Duration	up to 2 minutes 40 seconds
Path width	~115 km
Location	United States, Canada

Great American Eclipse of 2017 The solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, was a total solar eclipse whose path of totality traversed the continental United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts, generating widespread attention across North America. Astronomers from institutions such as NASA, Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, Caltech, and MIT coordinated observations alongside observatories like Lowell Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and Palomar Observatory while policymakers in state governments and municipal administrations mobilized resources for public safety.

Overview

The event was a total eclipse of the Sun visible along a narrow corridor that crossed states including Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with partial phases visible across Canada, Mexico, and the remainder of the United States. Celestial mechanics explanations were advanced by researchers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, and universities such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Arizona, and University of Colorado Boulder, referencing lunar orbital nodes, Saros series comparisons with events cataloged by Royal Astronomical Society and historical records like the Annals of the Astronomical Observatory. Predictive models were refined using data from satellites including GOES, STEREO, and SOHO.

Path and Observational Geography

The centerline of totality began on the Oregon coast near Lincoln City, crossed inland past Madras, Oregon, proceeded through Idaho Falls, skirting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, then traversed the Great Plains near Alliance, Nebraska and the Corn Belt crossing Carbondale, Illinois, continuing through the Appalachian foothills to make landfall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Transit timing was calculated against ephemerides maintained by United States Naval Observatory, International Astronomical Union, and Minor Planet Center with local timing communicated through state emergency management agencies such as FEMA and county sheriffs. Viewing sites included national parks administered by the National Park Service, state parks overseen by agencies like the California Department of Parks and Recreation and municipal parks run by city governments including Portland, Oregon and St. Louis, Missouri.

Scientific Observations and Research

Research teams from NASA Ames Research Center, NOAA, Space Telescope Science Institute, Carnegie Institution for Science, and universities including Princeton University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Columbia University, and Pennsylvania State University conducted coronal studies, chromospheric spectroscopy, and ionospheric experiments. Instrument platforms included airborne campaigns by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and private carriers coordinated with Federal Aviation Administration clearances, ground-based coronagraphs at Mount Wilson Observatory and McDonald Observatory, and radio arrays such as Very Large Array and Arecibo Observatory for ionospheric probing. Citizen science initiatives run through organizations like American Astronomical Society, Astronomical League, and Citizen CATE enabled coordinated data collection comparable to archival projects of the Pale Blue Dot era. Scientific outputs informed heliophysics models used by National Solar Observatory and refined space weather forecasts issued by Space Weather Prediction Center.

Public Response and Cultural Impact

Public interest drew tourists to eclipse towns documented by state tourism boards such as Oregon Tourism Commission and Visit Tennessee, with cultural programming by museums like Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Field Museum, and American Museum of Natural History. Academic institutions including University of Illinois, University of Missouri, and University of Tennessee hosted public lectures featuring scholars from Royal Observatory Greenwich and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The eclipse inspired artistic responses from venues such as Lincoln Center and community events organized by historical societies and libraries including Library of Congress and local public libraries; it also entered popular discourse on platforms managed by National Geographic Society, Discovery Channel, and The New York Times.

Preparations, Infrastructure, and Safety

State departments of transportation in Oregon Department of Transportation, Idaho Transportation Department, Nebraska Department of Transportation, and South Carolina Department of Transportation implemented traffic plans coordinated with Federal Highway Administration and metropolitan transit agencies such as TriMet and Metra. Public health guidance on ocular safety was issued by American Academy of Ophthalmology and emergency response protocols by American Red Cross and local hospital systems including Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Retail chains and optical suppliers like REI and independent retailers distributed certified solar filters conforming to standards referenced by International Organization for Standardization and tested by agencies like Underwriters Laboratories.

Media Coverage and Outreach

Broadcast partners including PBS, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, BBC, and cable networks such as Discovery Channel and Science Channel produced live coverage leveraging feeds from NASA Television, university livestreams, and international broadcasters including CBC and NHK. Social media platforms operated by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube were used for real-time sharing, while science communicators associated with institutions like SETI Institute, Planetary Society, and Slooh conducted outreach. Educational content and curricula tied to the event were published by organizations such as NOAA Education and incorporated into programs at planetariums including Adler Planetarium and Hayden Planetarium.

Category:Solar eclipses