How dangerous is it to look at the Sun?

Check out this jet and the smoke trails it makes as it zooms in front of the Sun! But what could be making that dark shape near the top of the Sun?

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It’s the Moon! When the Moon passes in front of the Sun, it blocks the light for a moment – that’s a total solar eclipse. Imagine if you could watch the eclipse from a plane. What would it be like?

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These people got to find out! They watched a total eclipse from inside a plane, flying above the clouds. They could even see the giant shadow made by the Moon as it blocked the Sun’s light!

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Here’s another view of the Sun. What do you think is happening here?

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That dark shape is a moon passing in front of the Sun – but it isn’t Earth’s Moon. This is an eclipse seen from the planet Mars! What do you notice about this Martian moon?

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This lumpy moon looks a bit like a potato! Called Phobos, it’s no wider than the city of Chicago. It only covers a small part of the Sun during a Martian eclipse.

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The planet Jupiter is famous for its colorful stripes and big red spot, created by swirling clouds. But sometimes…dark dots appear. What could be making those dark dots?

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Here’s a hint: See that dark spot traveling over the Earth? That’s not a storm cloud. It’s a huge shadow made by the Moon during a solar eclipse. Does that give you ideas about the dots on Jupiter?

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Those dark dots are shadows made by moons! Jupiter has more than 90 moons. Some cast shadows onto the planet as they pass in front of the Sun.

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Have you ever used a telescope like this to look at the night sky? It’s possible to see planets like Jupiter, but they look blurry. What could you build to get an even better view of space?

How about a much bigger telescope? Like this building-sized telescope on a mountain in Spain! The outer dome opens and the telescope inside can turn to view any part of the sky.

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Or for an even better view, you can launch a telescope into space! This telescope’s golden mirrors help collect light from far-away stars. It has traveled more than 1 million miles away from Earth!

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This view of space was captured by a giant telescope on Earth. But what was the telescope pointed at? It looks like wiggly orange blobs! Any ideas what this is?

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You’re looking at the surface of the Sun! The Inouye Solar Telescope helps scientists study the Sun in amazing detail. Each one of those “blobs” is roughly the size of Texas!

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During a total eclipse, bright shapes can sometimes be seen streaming out from the Sun. Up close, they look like glowing swirls and loops!

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We pulled three questions from our jar. Which question do you want to explore?

What’s the hottest temperature any animal could survive?

-Addie, 2nd Grade
Could you drive all the way around the world?

-Shayne, 5th Grade
What is the oldest sport in the world?

-Charlie, 3rd Grade

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How dangerous is it to look at the Sun?

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