The year was 1998, and the world was about to witness a celestial event like never before. On Feb. 26, hundreds of people gathered to watch a total solar eclipse, but they weren’t in Aruba or any other exotic location. They were in San Francisco, clustered in front of a screen at the Exploratorium museum.
As the moon slowly obscured the sun, the crowd gasped in awe. The feathery streams of the solar atmosphere burst into view, captivating the audience. Applause erupted as the sun peeked back out from behind the lunar surface, and the crowd marveled at the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
What made this event truly groundbreaking was the fact that it was streamed live on the World Wide Web. In a time before viral videos and social media, the internet was just beginning to take off. The eclipse livestream, known as “Eclipse ’98,” reached potentially millions of viewers, creating a moment of digital wildfire.
The internet has revolutionized the way we experience space and celestial events. From NASA’s broadcasts of the first moon landing to the tragic explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, technology has brought the wonders of the cosmos down to Earth.
But it was the live streaming of the solar eclipse in 1998 that truly showcased the power of the internet to bring people together in awe and wonder. The event was a testament to the accessibility and reach of the web, allowing anyone with a computer and an internet connection to witness the ethereal beauty of a total solar eclipse.
Years later, the digital audience for eclipses has only grown, with organizations like NASA and the Science Channel live streaming events for millions of viewers. While some may argue that watching a livestream is not the same as experiencing an eclipse in person, the internet has undeniably widened the reach of information and connected eclipse enthusiasts from around the world.
As the Exploratorium gears up to stream the last solar eclipse touching the contiguous United States for 20 years, the hope is that these online feeds will inspire viewers to someday see an eclipse in real life. Because as cool as the internet is, there’s nothing quite like the experience of standing in the path of totality and witnessing the magic of a total solar eclipse firsthand.
