「皆既日食を見たことがありますか？」この質問に対し、記憶を手繰り寄せようとするあなたは、きっと皆既日食を見たことがないのでしょう。「ええ、9割くらいの部分日食をみました」という回答もよく返ってきます。9割の部分日食も驚くべき現象ですが、真の皆既食はあらゆる意味で他のすべてを日陰に追いやってしまうのです。月の影に消される感覚を存分に味わった人にこの質問をすると、迷うことなく見たことがあると答え、その後に続けて圧倒的な体験とユニークな現象について話しだすでしょう。
2017年8月21日、全米で何百万人もの人々がThe Great American Eclipseと呼ばれる日食を目撃しました。そして多くの人が、「皆既食までの奇妙な影や色の原因は何だったか」「皆既食前の数秒間、地表を滑るように流れる儚い影の帯は本物だったのか、目の錯覚だったか」、そして「次はいつ、どこで、どんな皆既日食が見られるのだろう」といった疑問を持ったに違いありません。
本書は7回の皆既日食を経験した物理学者のフランク・クローズが99.99％の部分日食と真の皆既日食の違いを説明し、この最も美しい自然現象をうまく体験する方法を読者に指南してくれます。日食、月食、その他の天体について、科学への応用、歴史、文学、神話における役割のほか、日食で予想される現象、カメラやビデオ、そして手作りの簡単な実験で記録する最適な方法なども説明しています。今後の日食のスケジュール、日食を見るのに最適な場所、インスピレーションや教育の手段として日食を利用する機会にも触れています。この本をガイドに次回の天体ショーを楽しんでみませんか。
　　

• Builds on the excitement of the 2017 eclipse to widen public awareness and interest in future eclipses
• Every question you ever asked about eclipses is probably answered here

  
"Have you ever seen a total solar eclipse?" If the question caused you to search your memory, the correct answer would have been "no." A common response is: "Yes--I saw one, it was about 90% partial eclipse where I lived." A 90% partial eclipse is indeed a remarkable phenomenon, but true totality leaves all else in the shade, in all senses of the phrase. Ask the question of anyone who has experienced the full sensation of being obliterated by the moon's shadow, and they will reply "yes"--without hesitation--and continue with a monologue describing the overwhelming experiences and unique phenomena that ensued.
     
On 21 August 2017 millions of people across the United States witnessed "The Great American Eclipse" of the Sun. The moment it was over, people around the world were asking questions: what caused the weird shadows and colors in the build up to totality? Were those ephemeral bands of shadows gliding across the ground in the seconds before totality real or an optical illusion? Why this, what that, but above all: where and when can I see a total solar eclipse again?
     
Eclipses: What Everyone Needs to Know helps explain the profound differences between a 99.99% partial eclipse and true totality, and inform readers how to experience this most beautiful natural phenomenon successfully. It covers eclipses of sun, moon, and other astronomical objects, and their applications in science, as well as their role in history, literature, and myth. It describes the phenomena to expect at a solar eclipse and the best ways to record them--by camera, video, or by simple handmade experiments. The book covers the timetable of upcoming eclipses, where the best locations will be to see them, and the opportunities for using them as vehicles for inspiration and education. 
As a veteran of seven total solar eclipses, physicist Frank Close is an expert both on the theory and practice of eclipses. Eclipses: What Everyone Needs to Know is a popular source of information on the physics of eclipses.