Articles
Bakich, M. “A Timeline of Famous Eclipses.” Astronomy (October 2023): 36. Short thumbnail stories of historical eclipses of note. Also see his “A History of Solar Eclipses” in Astronomy (March 2023): 40.
Bakich, M. “The Next 20 Years of Solar Eclipses.” Astronomy (September 2021): 49. A planning guide for future eclipses.
Coco, M. “Not Just Another Pretty Phase.” Astronomy (July 1994): 76. Moon phases explained.
Gingerich, O. “Notes on the Gregorian Calendar Reform.” Sky & Telescope (December 1982): 530.
Kluepfel, C. “How Accurate Is the Gregorian Calendar?” Sky & Telescope (November 1982): 417.
Harrington, P. “Filters for Observing the Sun.” Astronomy (April 2021): 42. Ways to observe the Sun safely through binoculars and telescopes, for example during partial eclipses.
Krupp, E. “Calendar Worlds.” Sky & Telescope (January 2001): 103. On how the days of the week got their names.
Krupp, E. “Behind the Curve.” Sky & Telescope (September 2002): 68. On the reform of the calendar by Pope Gregory XIII.
MacRobert, A., & Sinnott, R. “Young Moon Hunting.” Sky & Telescope (February 2005): 75. Hints for finding the Moon as soon after its new phase as possible.
Mallama, A. “Understanding Lunar Eclipses,” Sky & Telescope, (November 2022): 34. Clear introduction, with a table of upcoming eclipses.
Pasachoff, J. “Solar Eclipse Science: Still Going Strong.” Sky & Telescope (February 2001): 40. On what we have learned and are still learning from eclipses.
Regas, D. “The Quest for Totality.” Sky & Telescope (July 2012): 36. On eclipse chasing as a hobby.
Schaefer, B. “Lunar Eclipses That Changed the World.” Sky & Telescope (December 1992): 639.
Schaefer, B. “Solar Eclipses That Changed the World.” Sky & Telescope (May 1994): 36.
Shubinski, R. “Defining Time.” Astronomy (December 2021): 54. A brief history of human timekeeping.
Websites
A Walk through Time: The Evolution of Time Measurement through the Ages: https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/walk-through-time. A web-based exhibit from National Institute of Standards and Technology.
American Astronomical Society Eclipse Pages: http://eclipse.aas.org. Compiled for the April 2024 North American total eclipse, these pages have lots of information, images, consumer recommendations, and educational materials good for any future eclipse as well.
Calendars through the Ages: http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/index.html. Like a good museum exhibit on the Web.
Calendar Zone: http://www.calendarzone.com/. Everything you wanted to ask or know about calendars and timekeeping, with links from around the world.
EclipseWise: Eclipse Information and Predictions: https://www.eclipsewise.com/intro.html. A site explaining both lunar and solar eclipses and giving details of eclipses past and future by an eclipse expert.
Eclipsophile: Weather for Celestial Events: https://eclipsophile.com/. Meteorologist Jay Anderson provides helpful weather predictions for upcoming eclipses, etc.
Future Eclipses: Where, When, and How to See Them: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/. Find all the solar and lunar eclipses coming up, put in the name of your town, and this site shows you the local eclipse circumstances in a nontechnical way.
History of the International Date Line: http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/idl/idl.htm. From R. H. van Gent at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
How We Divide Time: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/why-12-months-year-seven-days-week-or-60-minutes-hour. A page from the Royal Greenwich Museum explains why the week has seven days and the other units we use for time. See also: https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-are-there-seven-days-in-a-week.
Lunacy and the Full Moon: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lunacy-and-the-full-moon/. This Scientific American article explores whether the Moon’s phase is related to strange behavior.
Moon Phase Calculator: https://stardate.org/nightsky/moon. Keep track of the phases of the Moon with this calendar.
Phases of the Moon Gallery and Information: http://astropixels.com/moon/phases/phasesgallery.html. Photographs, explanations, and calendars for the Moon, presented by a NASA astronomer.
Tides Explained: From NASA: https://moon.nasa.gov/moon-in-motion/earth-and-tides/tides/ and from NOAA: https://scijinks.gov/tides/ (both use animations); from “How Stuff Works”: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/tide-cause.htm.
Time and Date Website: http://www.timeanddate.com/. Comprehensive resource about how we keep time on Earth; has time zone converters and many other historical and mathematical tools.
U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Information Center: https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/index. The Observatory tasked by the federal government to keep official time and calendars in the U.S. has this site of information, history, and tables for the public.
Videos
Bill Nye, the Science Guy, Explains the Seasons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUU7IyfR34o. Produced for younger audiences, but college students can enjoy the bad jokes, too (4:45).
Geography Lesson on the Arrangement and History of Time Zones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j-SWKtWEcU. The basics clearly explained (3:11).
How to Observe a Lunar Eclipse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRv0tF0te44. A basic explanation of what causes lunar eclipses, why the Moon is red, and how to view; from the California Academy of Sciences (5:29).
Moon Phases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyDIogWH9uE (4:54). Sped-up video of the Moon and its phases over the course of a year, with a lot of information; NASA produces a new one each year (for a full user guide, see: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5187/).
Observing Eclipses of the Sun Safely: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how-to-view-eclipse. A series of short videos from the Exploratorium, the science museum that partners with NASA to simulcast eclipses from all over the world.
Shadow of the Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNcfKUJwnjM. This NASA video explains eclipses of the Sun, with discussion and animation, focusing on a 2015 eclipse, and shows what an eclipse looks like from space (1:54).
Strangest Time Zones in the World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6QqcmCfm8. A history of time zones and examples of places that keep their own time (8:38).
Understanding Lunar Eclipses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNi5UFpales. This NASA video explains why there isn’t an eclipse every month, with good animation (1:58).
Why Do We Have Different Seasons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgHmqv_-UbQ. Brief animated explanation of seasons and how the different amounts of sunlight affect lifeforms on Earth. (3:16).