On August 21, 2017, North America will observe a total solar eclipse.  A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the sun and the sun’s corona can be seen. While this might be awe inspiring, you should not look directly toward the sun before and after the eclipse because the sun’s surface is so bright that if you stare at any portion of it, no matter how small, it produces enough light to damage individual retinal cells, and nobody wants that! However, if you want more information about why eclipses occur and any safety precautions you should take when viewing, please visit NASA’s eclipse 2017 FAQ page or, if you rather check out a Live-Stream of the eclipse, NASA’s got you covered.