The Weirdest Things That Happen During a Solar Eclipse

It is not often that humans get a chance to view grand celestial events live without the need for specialized equipment. One of the most exciting is a total solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, like the one on April 8th, the Sun, Moon and Earth line up so perfectly that the Sun is blocked out by the Moon. This can occur only because our Sun and Moon are just the right sizes and distances that they appear the same size in our sky.

Even if you don’t get a chance to see this one live, it’s a great opportunity to learn about the dynamics of our little corner of the cosmos.

During an eclipse, a lot of things happen at once. It’s not as simple as just watching the Moon slowly devour the Sun, although that in itself would be spectacular enough. If you’re lucky enough to be in the right place, you would get to witness so much more. During a total solar eclipse, the path of totality is the place to be. This thin strip is the only area where the Moon will completely block the Sun. Surrounding areas will see the moon take a bite out of the Sun — a partial solar eclipse — but will miss much of the phenomena of the main event.