The oldest recorded eclipse may have occurred on Nov. 30, 3340 B.C.E., according to NASA Science. Circular petroglyphs depicting the event were found in County Meath, Ireland, at the Loughcrew Megalithic Monument. Around 1200 B.C.E., archaeologists also discovered carvings on ox shoulder blades and tortoise shells in China, describing solar eclipses as "The Sun has been eaten" due to the limited understanding of the phenomenon at the time.

Astronomers later discovered that solar eclipses occur when the moon, orbiting around the Earth, comes between the Earth and the sun, obscuring the sun's visibility either partially or totally. The most recent total eclipse, which occurred on April 8, 2024, was visible in the southeastern part of Missouri, while partial eclipses were seen in other regions of the state.

Eclipses have also been referenced in religious texts. In Christian scripture, it is stated that the moon turned to blood after Jesus's crucifixion, which may have been referring to a lunar eclipse. Scholars have used this textual evidence to estimate the date of the crucifixion as April 3, 33 C.E., based on the occurrence of a lunar eclipse on that day.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon are perfectly aligned, causing the Earth's shadow to be cast onto the moon, turning it a reddish color. These events happen every six months when the moon's orbital plane is closest to the Earth's plane of orbit. The next lunar eclipse is predicted to be visible on September 18, 2024.

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, proposed in 1916, gained widespread acceptance in 1919 when an eclipse expedition led by Sir Arthur Eddington provided evidence supporting the theory.

In 2017, approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population had the opportunity to view a solar eclipse as the path of totality crossed 14 states. An estimated 215 million Americans watched the eclipse virtually and in person, highlighting the continued fascination with these celestial events.