Get extended access to 1600+ episodes, binge watch your favorite shows, and stream anytime - online or in the PBS app.
Already a WPBS member?
You may have an unactivated WPBS Passport member benefit. Check to see.
Season 44 Episode 11 | 53m 2s Video has closed captioning.
On August 21, 2017, millions of Americans will witness the first total solar eclipse to cross the continental United States in 99 years. While hordes of citizens prepare to flock to the eclipse’s path of totality, scientists, too, are staking out spots for a very different reason: to investigate the secrets of the sun’s elusive atmosphere.
Aired: 08/02/17
National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS …
National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS viewers. Additional funding for this program is provided by the Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation.
Sponsored By:
How an Eclipse Proved Einstein Right
The total solar eclipse of 1919 led Albert Einstein down the path toward stardom.
With the US eclipse just over a week away, here’s how you can watch it safely.
The country’s first solar eclipse in 99 years will cast a light on the Sun’s secrets.
The country’s first solar eclipse in 99 years will cast a light on the Sun’s secrets.
Experts drill into the impact crater of an asteroid that created a worldwide cataclysm.
NOVA uncovers the secrets of nature’s battleground—claws, horns, fangs and all.
Scientists uncover geologic evidence of epic floods that tore through ancient landscapes.
Experts reconstruct the Great Hurricane of 1780 to help predict the risk of future storms.
Scientists hunt for a mega-eruption that plunged medieval Earth into a deep freeze.
How has China’s magnificent Forbidden City withstood centuries of earthquakes?
Discover the world of medieval knights and see how their armor was made.
Follow Cassini's final days as it skims the cloud tops before plunging into the planet.
Now Showing
The country’s first solar eclipse in 99 years will cast a light on the Sun’s secrets.
A team of experts rebuild an ancient battle chariot to help uncover its design secrets.
Want more science?
The interactive NOVA Polar Lab uses 360 videos, interviews with scientists, and mini-games to send players on an immersive quest to understand how the poles are key to understanding Earth’s climate—past, present, and future.
Play the Lab
