--- description: Two cartoon aliens share facts about solar eclipse science in today's Google Doodle, which marks the Great American Eclipse title: Learn About Solar Eclipse Science From Today’s Google Doodle image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc080d0ad61fe9b6f/6988da7397cdff1bc56b21a9/great-american-eclipse-2017-google.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Eclipse](/tag/eclipse/) ## Eclipse Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Learn About Solar Eclipse Science From Today’s Google Doodle by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 21, 2017 12:49 PM CUT  Google by [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) ## Tara John Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 21, 2017 12:49 PM CUT Two cartoon aliens bounce the [moon across the sun](http://time.com/4834676/total-solar-eclipse-2017-rare/ "undefined") with their spaceships and offer lessons on [solar eclipse science](http://time.com/4893440/corona-sun-solar-eclipse/ "undefined") in Monday’s [Google Doodle](https://www.google.com/doodles/great-american-eclipse-2017 "undefined"), which marks the “[Great American Eclipse](http://time.com/4894416/solar-eclipse-2017-meaning/ "undefined")” that is set to cross the country. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, briefly blocking the sun’s light. Monday’s [total solar eclipse](http://time.com/4907357/total-solar-eclipse-2017-america/ "undefined"), will begin at Lincoln Beach, Ore. at 10:16 a.m. PT, and end less than two hours later near Columbia, S.C. It will be the [first time since 1979](http://time.com/4902132/solar-eclipse-path/ "undefined") that a total solar eclipse will be visible from the contiguous U.S. and, according to Google, it has been 99 years since a total eclipse crossed the width of the country. [**_Watch Live as the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Crosses the U.S._**](http://time.com/4900148/total-solar-eclipse-time-livestream/ "undefined") About 7.4 million people are expected to watch the once-in-a-lifetime event from the path of totality — the 65-mile-wide strip of land where the sun will be entirely obscured. Those not in the path of totality will still be able to witness a [partial solar eclipse](http://time.com/4902927/partial-solar-eclipse-definition/ "undefined"). It can be dangerous to watch the eclipse without [proper eye protection.](http://time.com/4898224/solar-eclipse-glasses-where-buy/ "undefined") Viewers are advised to not look directly at the sun unless they are wearing [eclipse glasses](http://time.com/4878020/solar-eclipse-glasses-2017/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4908518/solar-eclipse-science-google-doodle/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4908518/solar-eclipse-science-google-doodle/"},"headline":"Learn About Solar Eclipse Science From Today’s Google Doodle","datePublished":"2017-08-21T12:49:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T17:05:00.187Z","description":"A total solar eclipse will cross the country from coast to coast","url":"https://time.com/4908518/solar-eclipse-science-google-doodle/","keywords":["Eclipse","Google Doodle","onetime","space 2017"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc080d0ad61fe9b6f/6988da7397cdff1bc56b21a9/great-american-eclipse-2017-google.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tara John","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tara-john/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc080d0ad61fe9b6f/6988da7397cdff1bc56b21a9/great-american-eclipse-2017-google.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"great-american-eclipse-2017-google","caption":"","creditText":"Google","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/eclipse/","name":"Eclipse"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4908518/solar-eclipse-science-google-doodle/","name":"Learn About Solar Eclipse Science From Today’s Google Doodle"}}]}] ```