Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017

Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017
Michael S Adler · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017
Caption	Totality path across the continental United States
Date	August 21, 2017
Type	Total solar eclipse
Magnitude	1.028
Duration	up to 2 minutes 40 seconds
Saros series	145
Previous	March 9, 2016
Next	April 8, 2024

Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was a total solar eclipse visible across the continental United States on August 21, 2017, producing widespread public interest and coordinated scientific programs. The event traversed from the Pacific Coast near Oregon to the Atlantic Coast near South Carolina, delivering a continuous path of totality and substantial opportunities for observations by institutions such as NASA, Smithsonian Institution, NOAA, and numerous university consortia. Governmental agencies, research centers, observatories, and amateur organizations collaborated to forecast, observe, and disseminate information about the eclipse.

Background and Predictive Details

Astronomical prediction of the eclipse relied on classical celestial mechanics developed by figures and institutions including Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, Pierre-Simon Laplace, and organizations like Jet Propulsion Laboratory and United States Naval Observatory. The event belonged to Saros cycle 145 and was anticipated by ephemerides produced at Harvard College Observatory, Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and modern computation centers such as European Space Agency models. Orbit determinations used data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and observational inputs from Deep Space Network stations; eclipse path calculations were cross-checked by American Astronomical Society committees and planetarium networks including Adler Planetarium and Hayden Planetarium. Forecasts for atmospheric effects referenced climatological studies from National Weather Service and radiative transfer models from NOAA laboratories. Preparations involved logistical coordination with emergency management entities like Federal Emergency Management Agency and transport authorities in states including Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Path of Totality and Observational Campaigns

The centerline of totality passed through population centers and scientific facilities such as Madras, Oregon, Idaho Falls, Casper, Wyoming, Lincoln, Nebraska, St. Joseph, Missouri, Carbondale, Illinois, Nashville, Tennessee, and Columbia, South Carolina. Observatories and institutions staging campaigns included Lick Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Mount Wilson Observatory, Lowell Observatory, Yerkes Observatory, Fermilab, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and university groups from University of Colorado, University of California, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Vanderbilt University. Airborne and remote-sensing platforms were deployed by NASA, NOAA, and private ventures such as Vulcan Aerospace-affiliated projects and university airborne laboratories based at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Citizen science initiatives organized by Zooniverse, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and amateur organizations like American Association of Variable Star Observers and Royal Astronomical Society mobilized volunteers to record temperature, animal behavior, and atmospheric changes. Media partnerships with institutions including Smithsonian Institution and planetaria enabled coordinated viewing events for museums such as Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and science centers like Exploratorium.

Scientific Observations and Results

Scientific campaigns targeted solar corona structure, chromospheric dynamics, and ionospheric disturbances, with instruments from Solar Dynamics Observatory, SOHO, Hinode, Parker Solar Probe support teams, and ground-based coronagraphs at High Altitude Observatory and National Solar Observatory. Measurements of coronal magnetic fields and fast solar wind acceleration engaged researchers from Stanford University's Solar Physics Group and Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Radio scientists at Arecibo Observatory-cooperating labs and teams from MIT Haystack Observatory examined ionospheric total electron content with GPS networks coordinated by USGS and NOAA. Spectroscopic campaigns by groups at University of Arizona and University of Colorado Boulder produced high-resolution data on chromospheric emission lines, while polarimetric observations by Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research collaborators advanced models of coronal magnetism. Results refined coronal heating constraints, informed models used by Space Weather Prediction Center, and provided validation datasets for magnetohydrodynamic simulations developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

Cultural Impact and Public Response

The eclipse catalyzed cultural events involving museums, parks, universities, and community organizations across jurisdictions managed by entities including National Park Service, State of Oregon, City of Nashville, and regional tourism boards. Viewing festivals, educational programming, and artistic commissions engaged institutions like Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kennedy Center, and local historical societies. Economic analyses by researchers at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley assessed tourism impacts in counties along the path of totality; municipal logistics involved transit agencies such as Amtrak and regional airports including Portland International Airport and Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Public safety campaigns were coordinated with American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state health departments to promote safe viewing practices recommended by American Astronomical Society. The event influenced cultural expressions in music, literature, and film festivals curated by organizations like Sundance Institute and South by Southwest.

Media Coverage and Outreach Programs

Media organizations and broadcasters including NASA Television, National Public Radio, BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and Associated Press provided live coverage, often partnering with scientific institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and American Astronomical Society for expert commentary. Outreach programs by planetaria and science centers—Adler Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium, and Museum of Science (Boston)—distributed eclipse glasses compliant with standards from American National Standards Institute guidance and conducted workshops with educators from National Science Teachers Association. Social media campaigns engaged platforms run by Facebook, Twitter (now X), YouTube, and Instagram for distributed citizen science reporting and real-time sharing coordinated by academic groups at University of Michigan and University of Texas at Austin. The integrated media and outreach effort established models later adopted for events such as the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse.

Category:Solar eclipses