With today's solar eclipse drawing the attention of millions around the world, it's the perfect opportunity to look back at the extraordinary eclipses that changed the course of science and photography. For thousands of years, total solar eclipses inspired fear, myths, and religious interpretations. Many of the greatest breakthroughs in astronomy have taken place during these fleeting moments of darkness.
The photographs featured below tell the story of those remarkable events. Spanning nearly 175 years, they document not only the evolution of eclipse photography, from early daguerreotypes to images captured from aircraft, spacecraft, and the International Space Station, but also the extraordinary discoveries these rare events have made possible. Each image represents a milestone in the history of astronomy, reminding us that some of humanity's greatest scientific achievements have unfolded during just a few fleeting minutes beneath the Moon's shadow.
