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We see the Sun in a new way during a solar eclipse.

When the Sun’s bright face is blocked by the Moon, the Sun’s faint outer atmosphere – the corona – is revealed. NASA studies the Sun to understand how its influence shapes the solar system.

The Moon is at the center of a solar eclipse.

It blocks out the Sun’s face and casts its shadow on Earth. Scientists study the Moon to learn more about the history of our Earth and our solar system. And as our nearest neighbor, the Moon serves as a testbed for deeper space exploration.

Earth is the best place in the solar system to watch a solar eclipse.

Our unique total solar eclipses are only possible because the Moon and the Sun appear the same size in our sky. Researchers use the uncommon circumstances of an eclipse to better understand Earth’s atmosphere and how it responds to solar energy, and how wildlife respond to the eclipse.