The Great American ECLIPSE
The most watched eclipse event in history
On 21 August, an eclipse crossed the US mainland from coast to coast for the first time in nearly a century. It’s estimated that 215 million American adults viewed the eclipse either in person or digitally.
On the day NASA, schools, planetariums, museums and societies ran thousands of events to promote science and astronomy to this massive audience. However, many of these came close to being cancelled amid fears that thousands of the eclipse glasses which were sold or given away ahead of the event were not safe. Public health warnings circulated on the nation’s news channels, while science enthusiasts fought to make sure the events went ahead.
Thankfully, most glasses were up to scratch and got put to good use on the day. After the event, the organisation Astronomers Without Borders called for people to donate their glasses so that they could be sent out to schools in Chile and Argentina, which will both experience a total solar eclipse in 2019 and again in 2020. The group want to bring the magic of totality to as many people as possible, without the risk of anyone losing their eyesight.