This year is unusual, because there will be only partial eclipses: "That hasn't happened since 1982 and won't happen again until 2029, " Pasachoff said.
According to Pasachoff, eclipses offer scientists unique opportunities to study the corona, parts of which are invisible even to sun-watching satellites.
Observers can also look at live images of the eclipsed sun by making simple pinhole cameras, according to eclipse expert and National Geographic grantee Jay Pasachoff.