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![Solar eclipse in four stages (digital composite), low angle.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HoMKAPqn9vriTFMo9de9hH-320-80.jpg)
How often do solar eclipses occur?
By Jamie Carter published
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America for the second time in less than seven years. That's not typical; here’s how often solar eclipses occur, and when the next total solar eclipse will be visible.
![Looped video footage of a massive plasma eruption coming from the sun's far side](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HBwLQEjHr7nsWcxAyMXT5S-320-80.gif)
Mercury slammed by gargantuan eruption from the sun's hidden far side, possibly triggering 'X-ray auroras'
By Harry Baker published
A gigantic plasma eruption from the sun's hidden far side recently launched a sizable coronal mass ejection that slammed into Mercury, potentially triggering invisible X-ray auroras around the planet's rocky surface.
![Hiroshima, Japan, after the atomic bomb attack of 8 August 1945 showing the Genbaku Dome.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/39VkrPhVmYSksQxXpDxsVB-320-80.jpg)
Hiroshima fallout may offer a glimpse of the early solar system
By Nathaniel Scharping, Eos.org published
Bits of glass called Hiroshimaites may have formed by processes similar to those that formed the sun and the planets.
![View of a coronal mass ejection billowing away from the Sun in GIF format.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FFGvdmaLfkmq2ASZNeNTBU-320-80.gif)
Widespread solar storm struck spacecraft near the sun, Earth and Mars in quick succession
By Meredith Garofalo published
In 2021, a solar storm was recorded by multiple different spacecraft and the results tell quite the story.
![A black dog wearing heart-shaped sunglasses looks upward during an annular solar eclipse in Mexico](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tEf7dE2XrfsAopYrUcsk8E-320-80.jpg)
Will animals freak out during the April 8 total solar eclipse?
By Tia Ghose last updated
Humans aren't the only ones who get spooked during a solar eclipse; animals may change their behavior too, research shows. Here's what to expect on April 8, 2024.
![A tapir wears a pair of eclipse glasses on its head at the Zoo de Lille in France during a total solar eclipse on Aug. 11, 1999](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/67eFgYN7BoTFsbReyFLxce-320-80.jpg)
April 8 solar eclipse: 6 zoos on the path of totality — and why animals react strangely to 'nighttime during the day'
By Jamie Carter published
Total solar eclipses make animals behave in strange ways. To see for yourself, stop by one of these zoos located on the path of totality on April 8, 2024.
![A close up image of the sun's surface with added magnetic field lines](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7jayXJqMFEKziWvnBA8eMF-320-80.jpg)
Solar maximum may already be upon us, expert warns — but we won't know for sure until the sun's explosive peak is over
By Harry Baker published
A solar physicist who accurately predicted that the sun's explosive peak would arrive sooner — and be more powerful — than originally forecast tells Live Science that it may have already begun. However, we won't know for sure until long after it has finished.
![The sun remerged from behind the moon during a solar eclipse](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XVKcbJPru2vEGEbyPZhh43-320-80.jpg)
Exploding, green 'devil comet' could photobomb April 8 total solar eclipse — and it might be visible with the naked eye
By Harry Baker published
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as the "devil comet," will be positioned close to the sun during the April 8 total solar eclipse. Some photographers also predict that the volcanic comet may be visible to the naked eye, especially if it blows its top before the big event.
![A giant sunspot on the sun](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6RqkZDnuhoxpG27dDeU6j4-320-80.jpg)
Gargantuan sunspot that spit out the strongest solar flare in 6 years is now pointing 'almost directly' at Earth
By Harry Baker published
Sunspot AR3590, which recently spit out three X-class solar flares in under 24 hours, has grown even larger and is now pointed almost directly at Earth, putting us in the crosshairs of more potential eruptions.
![An ultraviolet image of the sun showing a massive explosion on its surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pPv6o6QTGHrJWQRYzLqX4T-320-80.jpg)
3rd X-class solar flare in 24 hours is the most powerful for 6 years — and it may not be the last
By Harry Baker published
A hyperactive sunspot recently unleashed its third X-class flare in under 24 hours. The X6 flare is the most powerful since 2017 and could be followed by equally massive explosions.
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