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[reporter] Skywatchers around the world are gearing up for the rare opportunity to see the Sun

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in a new light. There is a total solar eclipse in south asia.

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NASA scientists will be on the ground there and here to tell us more about what

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NASA scientists will be learning from this eclipse and also what we could look forward too

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in 2017, is Doctor Michelle Thaller from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, thanks for joining us.

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[Dr. Thaller] Great to be here, thank you [reporter] So tell us what will happen

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during this eclipse? [Dr. Thaller] Well, total solar eclipse's happen when

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the angles are just right, that the moon actually moves in front of the Sun and blocks out the

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light and we fall into the shadow of the moon. Tonight what's going to be

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on is that the shadow is going to be passing through southeast asia. Through places like Indonesia

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and Sumatra and actually going up to Micronesia where there are some NASA scientists

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waiting for it. So, although this is not visible from the United States, you can still see

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tonight via NASA television where our live coverage will begin at about 8pm

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eastern time. [reporter] And what will be NASA scientists be doing during

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this eclipse? [Dr. Thaller] A Total Solar Eclipse is a rare opportunity

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where the moon actually blocks out the bright disk of the Sun and all around the

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world astronomers can study the corona, which is the atmosphere of the sun

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there is all this wonderful complex filaments of gas that come out

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and for us this is a very important part of the Sun, because there is where solar

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weather happens. These are images from the solar dynamics observatory

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a NASA satellite of what we call solar storms. These are

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amazing storms of hot gas and particles coming out of the Sun.

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And these can affect the Earth. They can actually come towards the Earth, cause things like Northern lights

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even affect our satellites. and in some cases even things like power grids.

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So they are important for us to study. [reporter] Tell us about next year's eclipse?

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that will be visible across the U.S. [Dr. Thaller] Well yes tonight there is actually good chance

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for us to rehearse for the main event, which is actually happening in August in 2017

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So mark your calendars for August 21st 2017

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The path of totality will go all the way across the continental United States

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So going all the way from Oregon across the midwest and finally exiting

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at South Carolina, people all over the U.S. to actually get

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into the true dark shadow of the Sun, and that is spectacular, you'll see

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the sky go dark, you'll see the stars coming out at night, and you'll actually a sunset

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that goes all the way around you on the horizon. So if you never seen one of these

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please take the opportunity, they are sort of life changing event.

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[report] Where can we learn more and see tonight's

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live streaming event. [Dr. Thaller] Yes, to talk about where you can see the eclipse tonight

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actually think about to safely to view an eclipse and learn more about NASA's

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program to observe the Sun, got to NASA.gov/eclipse and

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also @NASASunEarth. Right now we have almost 20 satellites

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that are up running studying everything about the Sun and they way it interacts with our planet.

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so there is a lot to learn about the Sun and that is what I am looking forward tonight.

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[reporter] Great, thanks for joining us. [Dr. Thaller] Great to be here, thank you.