Moon passing in front of the Sun during the total solar eclipse, 21st August 2017. Photographed from onboard a NASA Gulfstream III aircraft flying 7.6 kilometres above the Oregon, USA coast. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes across the Sun as seen from Earth. This eclipse tracked across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, in the north west, to Charleston, South Carolina, in the south east. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent. Solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year, and can only be seen from a small area of the Earths surface.NasaCarla ThomasScience Photo Library
