When ancient humans looked up to the heavens and tried to understand the movements of celestial objects, they started a tradition that would evolve into astronomy. With incredible precision, they tracked the shifting of the stars, hoping it would help them anticipate clear omens in the sky—namely, solar and lunar eclipses.
Solar eclipses have a rich history of advancing science, from the dawn of astronomy to Sir Arthur Eddington’s 1919 experiment that corroborated Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Watch the video above to learn more about how solar eclipses have revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos, and revealed otherwise invisible features of the sun.