Great American Eclipse

PBS: UK PREMIERE Tuesday 2 July at 8.30pm

This illuminating documentary explores the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In April 2024, the Moon’s shadow swept from Texas to Maine, as the U.S. was set to witness its rare and last total solar eclipse until 2044.

This extraordinary astronomical event plunged locations in the path of totality into darkness for more than four minutes, which was nearly twice as long as the last American solar eclipse in 2017.

This film shows how to safely watch an eclipse and follows scientists as they work to unlock the fascinating secrets of our sun. Including why its scorching atmosphere is hundreds of times hotter than its surface, to what causes volatile solar storms and how we might one day predict them.