Solar Eclipses: Science and Discovery

Seeing a total solar eclipse is an experience that you never forget. For a brief moment in time, the extended atmosphere of the Sun becomes visible as the bright disk of the Sun is entirely covered by the Moon. Day becomes night, the stars come out and you are able to view the Sun directly and safely. Total eclipses are also of huge scientific value and astronomers will take their telescopes to far-flung places to catch a glimpse of the Sun during these times. Now, a new mission concept is neing developed that will fly a spacecraft into the shadow of the Moon in order to create total solar eclipse conditions in space. And it will do this once per month. This talk will discuss why total eclipses are so important for scientists and why an international team has been put together to create a new generation of eclipse viewing.