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A rare, spectacular total eclipse of the sun - Andy Cohen

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How can the tiny moon eclipse the sight of the gargantuan sun? By sheer coincidence, the disc of the sun is 400x larger than the disc of the moon, but the sun is 390x farther from Earth -- which means that when they align just right, the moon blocks all but the sun's glowing corona. Andy Cohen details this extraordinary celestial phenomenon (and when it will next occur).


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Andy Cohen
  • Animator Bevan Lynch
  • Narrator Brian Bender
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Editor's note: One date is wrong in the video. The Battle of Halys, between the armies of Lydia and Media, occurred on May 28, 585 BCE (not 535 BCE).
Solar eclipses in history and in literature
Ancient Skies, Mesopotamian Astrology, Bibliography of Babylonian Astronomy and Astrology, Eclipse 99, Egyptology Forum
The total solar eclipse of 2017
Eclipse 2017, NASA – Solar Eclipse Page, US Naval Observatory, Sky & Telescope
Desktop astronomy programs
SunAeon, Stellarium
1 Guided Discussion
3 Open Discussions
TED-Ed
Lesson Creator
New York, NY
07/19/2013 • 
 71 Responses
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Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Andy Cohen
  • Animator Bevan Lynch
  • Narrator Brian Bender

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