essay over the most dangerous game

A Summary and Analysis of Richard Connell’s ‘The Most Dangerous Game’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Most Dangerous Game’ is a classic adventure story, first published in 1924. It is now the story for which its author, Richard Connell (1893-1949), is best-remembered, and critics and reviewers have drawn comparisons between ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ and Suzanne Collins’s bestselling Hunger Games series, because both narratives are about people hunting, and being hunted, in a life-or-death competition.

Plot summary

On a yacht in the Caribbean, Sanger Rainsford is a hunter famed for his skills, preparing for a hunting trip up the Amazon in South America with his friend Whitney, who tells him about some strange superstitions involving a nearby island.

That night, Rainsford hears gunshots and falls into the sea. He swims for the shore, and hears the strange cries of an animal he is unfamiliar with and realises it is being hunted. When he makes it to the shore, he collapses and falls asleep, but once he wakes he realises he is hungry and begins to search for people on the island he has washed up on.

What he discovers initially baffles him. There are cartridges left over from the hunt which he heard, but the hunter was using a small gun to hunt a large animal. So he goes on a hunt himself, following the footprints of the hunter until he sees lights and comes to ‘a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom’.

He knocks at the door of this chateau, and Ivan, a black-bearded giant of a man who cannot speak, opens the door to him. He goes to shoot Rainsford, who is saved when another man, General Zaroff, arrives. Zaroff, who is more cultivated than Ivan, has read one of Rainsford’s hunting books. He apologises to his guest for Ivan’s behaviour and provides Rainsford with food and a change of clothes. Both he and Ivan are Cossacks: Russian and Ukrainian horsemen known for their military skill.

Over dinner, Zaroff tells Rainsford that he hunts big game on the island. He also tells him that ordinary animals have ceased to be a challenge for him, so he has started hunting the one animal capable of reason: human beings. Because he has the power of reason, man is ‘the most dangerous game’ of all. The island is known as ‘Ship Trap’ because ships are often run aground on its shores, providing Zaroff with fresh ‘game’. If a man refuses to be part of the hunt, Zaroff turns him over to Ivan.

That night, Rainsford has difficulty getting off to sleep, and once he begins to doze he hears a pistol shot in the jungle. The next day, he demands to leave the island, but Zaroff tells him that they haven’t gone hunting yet – and Rainsford is going to be the next game Zaroff hunts. If Rainsford can survive for three days in the jungle, Zaroff will allow him to leave the island, on condition that Rainsford tell nobody about Zaroff’s hunt. Rainsford reluctantly accepts these terms.

He is given some supplies and leaves the house with a three-hour head start on Zaroff, who then begins to hunt him. He tries various tricks to outwit his enemy, doubling back on his own tracks to obscure his path, and hiding up in a tree. But Zaroff finds him with ease, though refuses to announce that he has done so. Rainsford realises that Zaroff is toying with him.

He decides to lay a trap for Zaroff involving a tree which, if disturbed, will fall on him. However, Zaroff’s lightning-quick reflexes save him from death, and only his shoulder is injured. He tells Rainsford he will go and have his wound dressed before returning to the hunt.

Coming upon an area of quicksand, Rainsford lays another trap: a pit containing sharp stakes, concealed by a mat of weeds and branches covering the hole. But one of Zaroff’s dogs activates the trap instead. Rainsford hears the baying of the rest of the hounds, and attaches his knife to a tree, hoping that Zaroff will be wounded by it. Instead, the knife kills Ivan.

He now has only one chance: to jump into the sea, escaping the island, and hope for the best. Zaroff, meanwhile, is back at his chateau, cursing the fact that Rainsford has escaped. He retires to bed but, when he switches on a light, there is a man waiting behind the curtains: Rainsford. Zaroff tells him he has won the game, but Rainsford tells him that he is still a ‘beast at bay’ and the hunt is not over yet. Zaroff accepts this, and the two men prepare to fight.

That night, Rainsford sleeps in Zaroff’s bed.

Connell’s story ends with Rainsford, the hunted, vanquishing his hunter, Zaroff, and sleeping in the bed of the man who had stalked him as his prey. But ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ concludes on a decidedly ambiguous note. What happened during that ellipsis (‘“One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford.”…’)? And why did Rainsford, having jumped into the sea, then head back to the chateau in order to kill Zaroff?

We are invited to presume that Rainsford has fought, and killed, Zaroff and claimed the latter’s bed as his victory prize. But the fact that he chooses Zaroff’s bed, out of the many beds in the vast chateau, raises some interesting questions. Does he plan to replace Zaroff as the chief hunter of the island, luring those unwitting sailors to the ‘Ship Trap’ of the island in order to use them for sport? Has he got a taste for the ultimate hunt and does he now, too, plan to hunt ‘the most dangerous game’, man?

Although ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ is a well-paced and engaging adventure story, we should not let this fact lead us to conclude that this is all the story is: an action-packed piece of entertainment. For in some respects, Connell’s tale can be analysed as a kind of allegory for the predatory and cutthroat elements of human nature.

Some sixty-five years before ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ was written, Charles Darwin had shown how all animals are locked in a bloody and desperate struggle for survival: one animal hunts another for food, two animals of the same species fight to the death over a potential mate, animals tears each other apart in their competition for limited food sources.

Although Darwin’s initial book on evolution, On the Origin of Species (1859), did not discuss man, the implications of his theory of natural selection were plain enough to most readers. Humankind is not separate from other animals, but a part of the animal kingdom. Man is just a more cultivated and civilised animal, who is capable of making and wearing fine clothes (as Zaroff does) and enjoying fine food and champagne (again, see Zaroff).

But underneath this ‘cultivated’ veneer – and it is worth remembering that Connell’s third-person narrator uses this very word to describe Zaroff’s voice – man is still an animal, with primal drives. And these drives include the urge to hunt and kill prey.

The setting of ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ also bears out this interpretation of the story as an allegory for man’s primal nature beneath his ‘civilised’ exterior. By having his adventure tale take place in the deepest jungle on a South American island, Connell sends his New Yorker protagonist, symbolically, back into a more primitive and barbaric past. At one point during dinner, Zaroff comments to his guest that they ‘do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here’; by implication, this is an uncivilised place by its very nature.

Both Zaroff and Rainsford represent different aspects of the hunter. Both men are highly skilled at what they do, but for Zaroff, hunting is a ‘game’ (as the double meaning of the story’s title cleverly conveys, man is ‘the most dangerous game’ but he is also playing ‘the most dangerous game’). It is something he enjoys so much that he is prepared to place himself in danger, turning men into his prey precisely because their reasoning capacity makes them ‘dangerous’, as he tells Rainsford.

For Zaroff, then, the danger – the risk to his own safety – is part of the thrill of hunting. And it would be easy to argue that, in Rainsford, he finally meets his match. But this is not quite the case. In fact, he easily tracks down Rainsford, despite the New Yorker’s best attempts to cover his tracks (literally) before taking refuge up in a tree.

Zaroff quickly finds him, however. He could have dispatched his prey there and then, but his undoing is not Rainsford’s cunning as such, but his own hubris : Zaroff thinks he will be able to outsmart and vanquish the other man every time, and so leaves him in the tree for the time being. By playing with his prey in this way, Zaroff provides Rainsford with the chance to escape, and he does this by jumping into the sea and then finding his way back to the chateau.

In the last analysis, then, Connell’s story is about modern man as a primitive hunter with the primal drive to turn others into his prey. It would be easy to cast Zaroff as the more bloodthirsty man and Rainsford as the unwitting hunter in the story (he starts off as prey and must become predator in order to survive), but as the story progresses, Rainsford becomes more and more violent himself: killing, first, one of Zaroff’s dogs, then Ivan, and finally, Zaroff himself.

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Home › Literature › Analysis of Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game

Analysis of Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on May 30, 2021

Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” is widely anthologized in both high school literature and college introductory fiction courses largely because it offers a fine illustration of many of the potential conflicts that an author can incorporate into an compelling plotline: man versus man, man versus nature, and man versus himself.

Initially set on board a steamer headed for South America, “The Most Dangerous Game” begins with a conversation between two hunters, Rainsford and Whitney, who are aboard the vessel and are nearing a dangerous stretch of water that shipping charts label as Ship Trap Island . Their discussion centers on their chosen sport, big game hunting, and whether wild animals have any fear when they are being stalked by humans.

Almost immediately the reader senses that Rainsford’s surroundings are threatening. The sea and the island’s negative reputation place him in jeopardy, which is heightened when he falls overboard while investigating the sound of three gunshots he hears from the deck of his ship.

Although he survives the fall, Rainsford is savvy enough to get to shore by following the direction suggested by the shots. However, upon his arrival at Ship Trap Island, the safety he anticipates is not evident; instead he is faced with a ragged jungle environment and evidence of a fierce struggle that has recently occurred there.

Richard Connell/AmericanLiterature.com

Ultimately, Rainsford makes his way inland and, to his surprise, he discovers a palatial chateau, which he initially feels is a mirage, but he eventually finds that the house is occupied by a General Zaroff, a military aristocrat with a deaf mute servant of extraordinary strength whose name is Ivan. Aware of Rainsford’s reputation for hunting expertise, Zaroff initially seems delighted to have him as a guest since he, too, considers himself a master of the hunt. Indeed, his feudal dining room is decorated with the heads of many of his animal kills, including elephants, tigers, and bears. As the two discover what they consider to be the most dangerous game animal, the reader begins to recognize that the general is far from humane in his pursuit of the sport.

Rather, as Zaroff recounts his career to Rainsford, it becomes clear that the general now finds lower animals less of a challenge. Bored with their ability to offer him competition, Zaroff had retreated to this isolated primitive jungle exclusively to hunt the only animal that reasons: men. Zaroff clearly expresses his belief that even his human prey are an inferior species—the weak of the world—but individuals whom he trains to make them competitive to his superior skills. He then offers the individual he hunts a game of cat and mouse. If Zaroff catches his prey, the individual loses (and dies); if the prey eludes him for three days, the individual is free to leave Ship Trap Island unharmed. However, such an escape has so far never been achieved by those whom he has hunted, and no one has succeeded in winning the game.

Clearly, after initially believing Rainsford’s conflict will be environmental in nature, readers now see that a man-versus-man conflict emerges as a primary emphasis of Connell. The intellectual and physical battle between the two men takes center stage, displacing the original struggle with the environment. Since Rainsford offers the general a much more challenging opponent than he has had previously, the game of wits is intriguing. For Zaroff, the hunt has become a plaything, and he toys with Rainsford as he tracks him nightly, at times intentionally letting him slip away from being captured and killed. Suddenly the word game no longer refers to animals but rather suggests an elaborate chess match whose loser forfeits his very life.

The story concludes with Rainsford forced to do battle with Zaroff. Though outnumbered (Zaroff has dogs and Ivan to help), Rainsford does not panic and uses the tricks of the hunting trade to outsmart his opponent. Nevertheless, the general discovers Rainsford during the first hunt and, preferring to extend the contest not to capture him, decides rather to enjoy what he believes will be his eventual triumph over a longer period. During the second encounter, Rainsford becomes more successful as he uses a Malayman-catcher at least to wound Zaroff. Thus the man-versus-man conflict intensifies, and the game becomes more complex. Though Rainsford claims the lives of both the general’s best hunting dog and Ivan, he is eventually trapped on a high cliff. Since retreat is impossible, he is then forced to seek refuge in the dangerous sea by jumping from his precarious location. While Zaroff believes he has again conquered even though he has not killed his prey personally, his opponent, Rainsford, returns later that night to claim victory, having proved successful not only in subduing his dangerous surrounding but in eluding his hunter and surviving for three days.

Surprisingly, as the story draws to a close, Rainsford is not content just to be free. Instead he proves that men (not wild animals) are indeed the most dangerous game by challenging his antagonist to a duel and winning. Though Connell deftly avoids showing Rainsford’s actual killing of his fellow man and his subsequent decision to feed the general’s body to his pack of hungry dogs, the author surely concludes that when pressed to desperation, man will resort to any means to stay alive. Consequently, it is evident that Rainsford, who initially revolted at the thought of violently attacking others, has struggled with his own value systems and eventually decided that self-preservation may require dire and even immoral action. His personal impulse toward morality at the beginning of the story is thus, at the story’s end, overcome by the necessity to survive, and his inner struggle introduces the third primary fictional conflict: man’s eternal struggle with himself.

Considered a plot-centered story, “The Most Dangerous Game” has rather static stereotypical characters including a noble heroic protagonist and a vicious and unsympathetic villain, but Connell’s ironic twist at the story’s end makes the story an appealing read, especially for those who prefer exciting series of events to complex character studies. It is a well-crafted narrative that lends itself well to basic analysis by younger and perhaps less experienced readers.

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The Most Dangerous Game

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46 The Most Dangerous Game Essay Questions, Topics, & Examples

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• “The Most Dangerous Game” Narrative Essay The play notes here that Rainsford loves hunting to the extent that he calls it the best sport in the world.
• Conflict in ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ by Connell Rainsford went through an internal conflict when he was in the ocean and had to keep stay focused by not panicking and realizing that his clothes were not helping his strokes and he ‘wrestled out […]
• “The Most Dangerous Game” a Story by Richard Connell “The Most Dangerous Game”, a short story written by Richard Connell, is one of the first literary pieces to tell the tale of human hunting a subject highly popularized in the contemporary popular culture.
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Education Standards

Nebraska's college and career ready standards for english language arts.

Learning Domain: Reading

Standard: Cite specific textual evidence to analyze and evaluate the effects of historical, cultural, biographical, and political influences of literary and informational text written by culturally diverse authors, to develop a regional, national, and international multicultural perspective.

Standard: Construct and/or answer literal, inferential, critical, and interpretive questions, analyzing and synthesizing evidence from the text and additional sources to support answers.

Standard: Demonstrate an understanding of complex text by using textual evidence to support analysis, reflection, and research via multiple mediums (e.g., writing, artistic representation, video, other media).

Learning Domain: Writing

Standard: Generate a draft that conveys complex ideas and critical thinking through analysis, reflection, and use of effective organizational patterns that are appropriate to the purpose and intended audience.

Standard: Apply standard rules of grammar and paragraph formation, including parallel structure and subordination.

Standard: Provide oral, written, and/or digital descriptive feedback to other writers.

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"The Most Dangerous Game" Argumentative Essay

This unit was designed to give freshmen a small writing task that is similar to the ACT writing. "The Most Dangerous Game" generates great conversation of the ideas of morals and ethics, and this writing task allows students the opportunity to explore their own morals and ethics.

OBJECTIVES: The learner will...

• identify the main points of an argument and connect arguments to supportive material
• argue a chosen side using supportive details
• construct personal beliefs about morals and ethics
• write and edit a short argumentative essay 
• collaborate with peers

Introduction

TEACHER NOTES:

This unit was designed to give freshmen a small writing task that is similar to the ACT writing. "The Most Dangerous Game" generates great conversation of the ideas of morals and ethics, and this writing task allows students the opportunity to explore their own morals and ethics. 

Once they have a grasp on morals and ethics in this first , have them read "The Most Dangerous Game." 

LET'S ARGUE!!!!

We are going to take a dive into the concepts of morals and ethics. you will watch two videos. one pertaining to morals and one pertaining to ethics. , in a short response, explain the differences and similarities between morals and ethics. submit your response to the lms assignment titled "morals vs ethics.".

"The Most Dangerous Game"

Click here for digital version of "the most dangerous game.", questions to answer:.

• Who determines what is considered right and what is considered wrong in this story? 
• How does Zaroff justify what he is doing on the island? 
• Why does Rainsford seek revenge in the end? Is that considered doing what is right? 
• What are the effects of Zaroff's and Rainsford's actions? 
• When is it okay to kill someone? 

***Submit your answers to the LMS assignment titled "TMDG Questions."

Writing Task

You can change up the outline as much as you need to suite your studnets. Suggestion: delete one of the "Main Point" sections to avoid confusion since the writing assignment is really only calling for two paragraphs. You can use another form of writing guide. Some students may want a writing guide to help them visualize what they need in regards to sentences. You will find that resource below. 

Writing Guide

Transition Words Website

Pick a perspective (listed below) and argue for that side. Refute and concede various points that the other side makes. Follow the steps below to help. 

Start a Google Doc and share it with the teacher. (Put everything into this one document, just add new pages.)

Make a pro/con list about hunting humans

Pick a perspective that you agree with and write a paragraph as to why you agree with it. 

Write a paragraph about why you don't agree with the other perspective. 

If there is anything that you "kind of" agree with then say that and state why. 

Write an introduction and a conclusion

  USE THE OUTLINE TO GUIDE YOUR WRITING.

USE THE WRITING GUIDE IF NEEDED

TRANSITION WORDS RESOURCE

PERSPECTIVE ONE:

What zaroff was doing is good for the environment because the world is overpopulated, and resources are being depleted at alarming rates. it is better to have fewer people than starving, homeless people. , perspective two:, no matter how a person looks at this, what zaroff was doing is murder. by law, murder is illegal, and no person is above the law. these people were stolen from their lives and forced to play zaroff's sick and twisted game. this is immoral and inhumane., peer editing, assign the peer editors. ensure to go over expectations for partner work. feel free to edit and modify the checklist to suit the needs of your students. , peer editing checklist.

You will edit your rough draft with a peer. Click on the link below to get a copy of the peer editing checklist. Share your document with your partner, read through it, offer edits, and complete the checklist. Use the comment feature on Google Docs to complete the assignment. To show that you made comments on your partner's document, take a screen shot and add it to the bottom of your checklist be fore you submit it. Then, submit your checklist and edits to the LMS assignment titled "Peer Editing."

Peer editing.

Feel free to edit the rubric  once you have made your copy. 

Once you have finished editing your final draft, create a fresh document, label and format it in proper MLA 8 format. From there, you will submit the document into the LMS assignment titled "Final TMDG Argumentative Essay."

Click this link to get a copy of the rubric . , version history.

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Kerr followed his father into medicine, and in the last 10 years he has hired a permanent research team that expanded studies on deathbed visions to include interviews with patients receiving hospice care at home and with their families, deepening researchers’ understanding of the variety and profundity of these visions.

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Additional production for The Sunday Read was contributed by Isabella Anderson, Anna Diamond, Sarah Diamond, Elena Hecht, Emma Kehlbeck, Tanya Pérez and Krish Seenivasan.

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The Most Dangerous Game

The most dangerous game: a hunt for morality paul bergstrom 10th grade.

Albert Einstein once said, “Force always attracts men of low morality.” This statement illustrates the idea that men with low values or standards will often use force to build up a feeling of dominance which also makes someone oblivious to inhumane actions. General Zaroff is a perfect example of this type of man. In Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” the author shows that Zaroff’s power demands him to use force to control the lives of other people. Rainsford stumbles upon Ship Trap Island and meets General Zaroff. Zaroff informs Rainsford that he will be part of his game. Rainsford seems to be the character that is affected by Zaroff’s forceful and demanding actions. Although Rainsford and Zaroff are skilled hunters with similar personalities, their set of morals and the way they respect others are very different.

Though they have many differences, Rainsford and Zaroff have very similar personalities. Early in the story Rainsford states. “‘The best sport in the world’” (Connell 40). Rainsford’s statement has significance because he is referring to his love of hunting. His love for an intense hunt illustrates his desire for a thrill and entertainment on each of his adventures. While on the yacht, Rainsford...

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Hawks vs Mavericks: Game Preview, Injury Report, Projected Starting Lineups

• Author: Jackson Caudell

In this story:

After getting a closer-than-expected win over the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks are going to see a big upgrade in competition tonight when they travel to Dallas to take on the red-hot Mavericks. 

The Hawks also come into this game playing well, even if last night was not the dominating effort that most expected. Atlanta has won six of their last seven games, they clinched their spot in the Play-In Tournament for the third straight year, and Atlanta is now tied with the Chicago Bulls for the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference Standings. 

Tonight is going to be one of the tougher challenges the Hawks have faced. Atlanta lost their earlier game in the year to Dallas, allowing Luka Doncic to score 73 points and win the game in Atlanta. Dallas won that game without star guard Kyrie Irving and they did not have their trade deadline acquisitions P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. The Mavs have been one of the league's best teams since the trade deadline and those guys are a big reason why. Luka is also playing at an MVP level and making his case for the award. 

Note: Keep an eye on the Hawks injury report today. I don't know if anyone will be added to the injury report, but the Hawks are on a back-to-back and there could be a surprise addition today. 

This promises to be one of the toughest games for the Hawks for the rest of the season. Let's preview how the two teams match up. 

Game Preview

The Hawks have been rolling along as of late and have been getting healthier. Dejounte Murray gets a lot of the attention for the Hawks with Trae Young out, but the supporting cast around him has stepped up over the past few games. Murray had a kind of quiet 24-point game last night vs Detroit, but he has been playing excellent over the past couple of weeks and earned the Eastern Conference Player of The Week this week. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic did not play very well last night in terms of shooting, but he has been one of the Hawks's best players all season and can get hot from three quickly. He had 38 points on Saturday vs the Bucks and shot the ball well in a win on Monday vs the Bulls. 

After two rough shooting games vs the Bucks and the Bulls, De'Andre Hunter had one of his most efficient nights shooting the ball last night against the Pistons. Hunter was 11-16 from the field and 3-6 from three, scoring 26 points. Hunter did not play in the last matchup between these teams and he will likely be one of the players guarding Doncic tonight. 

Jalen Johnson had one of his best nights as a pro last night against the Pistons and he was able to record his first career triple-double. Johnson had 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, shooting 10-14 from the field. Johnson will also likely get a chance at guarding Doncic tonight. 

Clint Capela has been playing excellent basketball as of late and is going against a team that is below-average in rebounding. Capela has been a double-double machine, as well as playing pretty solid defense. 

The Hawks bench rotation will probably look similar to what it did last night. Kobe Bufkin, Garrison Matthews, Bruno Fernando, and Vit Krejci will all see playing time, but they will probably need to contribute more than they did last night. Bufkin and Matthews each had nine points, but Krejci and Fernando did not have their best game. Last night was probably the best game from Bufkin during his rookie season. 

The Hawks come into this game 5th in PPG, 19th in field goal percentage, 7th in three-point attempts, 14th in three-point percentage, 7th in free-throw attempts, 2nd in offensive rebounding, and 15th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 9th in points per 100 possessions, 16th in effective field goal percentage, 10th in turnover percentage, 5th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 11th in free throw rate.

The Mavericks have improved as a defense since acquiring these guys, but they are still below average overall. Dallas is 20th in PPG allowed, 20th in field goal percentage allowed, and 19th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Dallas is 18th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 18th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

The Maverick's offense though is one of the league's best and that is no surprise when you have Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic leads the league with 33.9 PPG and is third in assists, averaging 9.8 per game. 

The Mavericks come into this game 6th in PPG, 11th in field goal percentage, 2nd in three-point attempts, 11th in three-point percentage, 11th in free throw attempts, 23rd in offensive rebounding, and 7th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Mavericks are 6th in points per 100 possessions, 5th in effective field goal percentage, 6th in turnover percentage, 26th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 16th in free throw rate. 

The Hawks's defense has played better over the past two weeks, but it is still not one of the league's better units. Atlanta is 27th in PPG allowed, field goal percentage allowed, and three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed. 

Injury Report

The Hawks have yet to release their injury report so keep an eye out for when it is released. 

Josh Green and Derrick Lively are out tonight for Dallas. 

Viewing and Betting information

Tip-off time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Southeast,

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs on the road tonight, as they are currently 11.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the Ceasars Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 230.5.

Projected Starting Lineups

G- Bogdan Bogdanovic

G- Dejounte Murray

F- Jalen Johnson

F- De'Andre Hunter

C- Clint Capela

G- Luka Doncic

G- Kyrie Irving

F- Derrick Jones Jr

F- P.J. Washington

C-Daniel Gafford 

Latest Hawks News

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Spread and Score Predictions: Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns

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Total solar eclipse 2024 live updates: Watch video and see photos of the sky spectacle

EAGLE PASS, Texas − In a moment of cosmic alignment that was precisely predicted yet undeniably mysterious , the moon crept across the face of the sun as seen from Earth, casting its shadow onto the United States on Monday.

And then it was over: A total eclipse of the sun has come and gone.  

The partial shadow crossed into the U.S. in Texas just after noon local time, and a bit more than an hour later, the minutes of “totality” began. The total eclipse of the sun then traced a path from southern Texas to northern Maine, where it exited into Canada and the ocean beyond.

The rare event was an astronomical experience like no other. Monday's eclipse was unusually accessible to millions of people. It was widely anticipated not only for its remarkable period of darkness, but for its rare timing: No total solar eclipse would be visible from the contiguous United States again until 2044. While millions of Americans may have seen today’s eclipse, a small group in Texas was among the very first.

Edge of eclipse shadow began in south Texas

Alejandra Martinez, a seventh-grade science teacher from the south Texas border city of Eagle Pass, peered up at the gray, gauzy sky, anxiously awaiting the solar eclipse’s entrance into the USA.

Sitting with a telescope under a camping canopy in a corner of the county airport, Martinez, 42, and two other science enthusiasts had been recruited by NASA to participate in an effort called Citizen CATE 2024, where more than 30 teams perched in the eclipse’s path will record the shadowy trek across the country. 

In this spot, less than five miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, she and her team would be among the first people in the U.S. to witness the phenomenon. Eagle Pass sits near the very beginning of the eclipse’s track from southwest to northeast across the country. It also sits very near dead-center of it, where the period of “totality” will be the longest. That total shadow was still more than an hour away when the edge of the shadow began to darken the sky.

Martinez, dressed in a “This Totality Rocks” T-shirt and eclipse-themed skirt, watched as the penumbra crept across the airfield, about 10 minutes past noon local time. She put on her eclipse glasses and peered up at the sky. The gauzy clouds parted. “There it is! There it is!” she yelled. “First contact. It’s begun!”

Clouds came and went as the shadow grew for the next hour. As totality approached Eagle Pass, the sky shaded a dull gray then a heavy brown and the temperature dropped a few degrees. Only a sliver of the sun remained.

A few seconds before 1:27 p.m. CT, the crowd counted down, “3..2..1…” The sun was gone, completely covered by the moon. Darkness spread over the small airport grounds. “Oh my god,” Martinez said, a hand covering her heart. “This is so cool!”

How to tell if you have eye damage from looking at a partial eclipse?

For those who took a chance and looked at the sun without protective eyewear during the eclipse, concerns may arise if their vision starts to seem impaired. Have they suffered eclipse blindness?

Looking directly at the sun even briefly without the proper safety glasses can result in eye damage, either temporary or permanent. The body's natural squinting reaction in normal circumstances prevents people from staring directly at the sun, but that reflex may not be activated during partial eclipses, even though a partly shielded sun can still burn the retina.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says pain won't be an indication of damaged eyes because the retina lacks pain nerves. Worrisome signs are instead blurry vision, headaches, light sensitivity, blind spots in the central vision, distorted vision and changes in color perception. Anyone experiencing those symptoms should see an ophthalmologist, the AAO says.

What was the timeline of the 2024 solar eclipse?

The total eclipse began in Mexico at about 11:07 a.m. PDT, Monday before crossing into Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT. It ended in Maine at 3:35 p.m. EDT. Even those who weren't in the path of totality could see a percentage of the eclipse.

To find out exactly when the eclipse occurred in your area, you can search by  USA TODAY's database by ZIP code  for a viewing guide.

Students in Washington get hands-on learning

Dozens of students spilled out of Ida B. Wells Middle School in Washington, D.C., gripping cardboard solar eclipse glasses and chatting with excitement. “Why is the sun shaped as a moon?” one student asked after looking toward the sun. “Why is it not getting dark?’’ asked another.

Teacher Troy Mangum, who the students called “Mr. Mango,’’ slowly explained the science behind the experience as he cautioned others to put on their glasses. Students at the school in northwest D.C. had had lessons about the eclipse leading up the day’s teaching outside the classroom.

“Anytime we can get hands on or dynamic learning … it’s invaluable,’’ said Mangum, a social emotional learning coach. “We talked about it so much. It’s nice to see them get excited about qeeky Mr. Mango type of stuff.”

Skylar Cruel, 12, had come outside with her science class. “I just really wanted to see it,’’ she said. “You get to see it turn from light to dark.”

Steps away at Whittier Elementary School, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), younger students put on their glasses and tilted their heads up toward the sun behind their school.

Michael Haile joined his daughter, Markan Worku, 9, a student at Whittier, and brought along his 5-year-old son, Keab. He called it a memorable experience for his children. Markan, who had been learning about solar eclipses in her third-grade class, simply said, “This is cool!’’ 

− Deborah Berry

In Michigan, a bonding experience for a mother and her three kids

In Michigan, eclipse enthusiasts packed a watch party along the Detroit Riverwalk near Cullen Plaza. They sat on the grass, on benches and berms. For Janelle Ikonen of Waterford, it was a chance to bond with her three children − Hannah, 9; Elim, 12; and Isaac, 14 − whom she took out of school for the day.

“I wanted to experience a unique event with them,” said Ikonen, 47. “It’s one of my big deals to me, to experience things with my kids. … I hope they’ll remember spending time with me.”

In Grand Rapids, where 94% coverage of the sun was expected, viewers gathered on the city's “Blue Bridge,” which offered a view of the eclipse over the Grand River. With no cloud cover over the city, visitors had an unobstructed scene. The Grand Rapids Public Museum set up a series of solar telescopes.

Jill and Wes Johnson, 50 and 14, were among those awaiting max coverage. They’d considered traveling from Grand Rapids to a place with total coverage, but decided 94% coverage was worthwhile enough to stay home.

“I think people are excited to see something unique,” Jill Johnson said.

− Georgea Kovanis and Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press

US women's soccer team takes in eclipse ahead of title game

COLUMBUS, Ohio − The U.S. women’s national soccer team took a break from SheBelieves Cup preparation to watch the eclipse. 

Several team members, including World Cup veterans Crystal Dunn, Alyssa Naeher, Naomi Girma and Trinity Rodman, coaches and staff members donned eclipse glasses and went outside their hotel to see the rare event.

As the sky darkened and the moon moved in front of the sun, someone yelled, “Come on, keep going!” Columbus is just outside the path of totality, so all but a sliver of the sun wound up being covered. 

The USWNT is in Columbus for the final of the SheBelieves Cup on Tuesday night against Canada.

− Nancy Armour

Witnessing the first total eclipse from a cruise ship

Passengers aboard Holland America's Koningsdam cruise ship eagerly gathered on the top decks at 10 a.m. local time to watch the spectacle of a solar eclipse.

Positioned off the coast of Mazatlan, Mexico − the first city in North America to witness the total eclipse − the ship provided an ideal vantage point for viewing the celestial event. Accompanied by an astronomer, the captain meticulously adjusted the ship's position to ensure the best possible view.

Dan Fueller, an experienced eclipse observer who had previously seen similar phenomena from ships in 1991 and 1998, emphasized the advantages of viewing the eclipse from a cruise ship. He noted the flexibility of the ship's mobility allowed for optimal positioning along the eclipse's path, ensuring unobstructed views.

"You're on a cruise ship and (the best view) is a little bit farther to the west or a little bit farther to the east − along the path, there's a clear sky − the ship can move. If you're on land and there's not a road there, you better have a tank."

− Joshuan Rivera

Partial eclipse 'like a little Pac-Man taking a bite out of the sun'

In Parthenon, Arkansas, the eclipse began near the Buffalo National River. Five friends traveled from Florida to be on a rock outcropping to witness the celestial event.

“Yes! I see it!” Angie Printiss exclaimed.

“Oh ya! You can see it,” said Kate Estes. “It’s like a little Pac-Man taking a bite out of the sun.”

At 20 minutes before totality, the sky got noticeably darker. The shadow of crescent sun shapes played off the limestone rocks.

“It looks like water − like fish scales,” Estes said. “That is so weird, when the trees move you can really see it.”

− Jennifer Portman

New Englanders travel for better view of the eclipse

Crowds ballooned into the thousands midday Monday in the center of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, as the nearly cloudless sky and warm sun boosted temperatures to an unseasonably 60 degrees.

Jim and Kim Cooper drove over from New Hampton, New Hampshire, their first time doing more than just passing through the town locals call St. Jays. Their son had proposed to his girlfriend in Tennessee during the 2017 eclipse and then had an eclipse-themed wedding, but the Coopers had never seen a total eclipse for themselves, so they decided to come to the closest place where they could be assured of a good view.

Jeffrey Breau had seen that 2017 eclipse for himself and was so impressed that he convinced family members to join him this time. Breau’s girlfriend, Nell Hawley, came up with him from Cambridge, Massachusetts, while his brother Alex and his girlfriend Diana Ventura drove up from New York City. The Breau brothers' father, Walter, joined them in taking in their first eclipse.

“I would have been OK watching it in the yard,” Walter said, though he would only have seen a partial eclipse from there. “That’s what you think now,” Jeffrey said quickly. “Talk to me in two hours.”

− Karen Weintraub

Kids bring homemade eclipse viewers to National Mall

Lucas and Lucy Porto Banco didn’t need to buy fancy eclipse glasses – the 7- and 10-year-old siblings made their own eclipse viewers from two cardboard shoe boxes left over from a couple of their mom’s recent shoe purchases.With the help of a YouTube tutorial video, they made two holes in each box with a whittling knife and taped tin foil over. Then they used dry spaghetti to poke holes in the tin foil for the sun’s light to pass through and project onto the dark inside of the box.The kids put together the viewer in little more than five minutes, Lucy said. “Maybe 15, with covering all the gaps in the shoe box,” she said.Even with his own eclipse-viewing creation, Lucas said he may still take advantage of his eclipse glasses. “I’m going to do both,” he said.

− Cybele Mayes-Osterman

What is an 'umbra?' − and other eclipse words

Astronomers and eclipse enthusiasts used a bunch of specialized words Monday as the nation experienced its first solar eclipse since 2017 and the last one for until 2044. Here are a few of those terms and what they mean, according to the American Astronomical Society .

Baily's Beads – This refers to the beaded appearance of the moon's edge as the eclipse nears totality. Shafts of sunlight shine through deep valleys on the moon's surface, which causes the effect known to observers as Bailey's Beads.

Umbra – The darkest part of the moon’s shadow, within which the entirety of the sun's bright face is blocked. An observer standing in the umbra sees a total solar eclipse.

Penumbra: The lighter part of the moon's shadow, making up its outer portion, where light can reach.

Corona – The sun’s upper atmosphere, visible as a pearly glow around the eclipsed sun during totality.

Totality – The maximum phase of a total solar eclipse, during which the moon’s disk completely covers the sun's bright face. It can last from a fraction of a second to a maximum of 7 minutes, 31 seconds, depending on viewing location and other factors.

− Dale Denwalt, The Oklahoman

A last-minute search for glasses for 'a perfect spot'

Patsy Faoro walked toward a half dozen people gathered at the gate of Turner Farm Park in Great Falls, Virginia. The people were awaiting the opening of an eclipse viewing event complete with telescopes and educational presentations.

Faoro, who lives near the park in this upscale Northern Virginia neighborhood, just wanted glasses to safely view the eclipse.

She visited CVS, Safeway and a 7/11 convenience store, all of which had advertised the availability of glasses to view the eclipse. None of the retailers had any glasses remaining when Faoro checked this morning.

“We have this great big open space that’s a perfect spot,” said Faoro, who viewed her first eclipse in the 1970s. “We just need some glasses.”

− Ken Alltucker

Indianapolis Motor Speedway event draws tens of thousands

Tory Patrick, 41, is hoping to give her four children a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity. Patrick and her family traveled 160 miles to Indianapolis Motor Speedway from their home in Granger, Indiana. They were expected to have 97% totality at home, but it’s not the same as total coverage, she said.

“They will be getting the full experience that they can’t read about in textbooks,” Patrick said.

Patrick and her sister Cally Gannon, 39, from Cincinnati, met in Indianapolis to view the eclipse from the speedway. They camped outside IMS over the weekend ahead of the event and on Sunday afternoon saw a double rainbow over the speedway’s iconic pagoda. An estimated 50,000 tickets were sold for the day’s festivities, presented in partnership with NASA and Purdue University.

Elsewhere in the stands, Ryan Harper, 30, knows today is special.

“We’re right in totality,” he said. “This sometimes doesn’t happen in people’s lifetimes.

— Sarah Bowman and Jade Thomas

Family travels from Baltimore to Rochester, N.Y., to view the eclipse

When Maze Pelham of Baltimore was a fifth-grader, he watched news of the 2017 solar eclipse and vowed to witness the next notable solar eclipse. That eclipse, and that day, has come. And this is why he and his parents, Janice and Sonney Pelham, left Maryland around 1 a.m. on Monday and drove nearly seven hours to Rochester, New York.

“I said to myself I would go to the next one,” Maze Pelham said while seated with his parents on lawn chairs at downtown Rochester’s Parcel 5 park, where he and hundreds of others are awaiting a view of the full eclipse. “It’s a promise I made to myself.”

– Democrat and Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network

In Brooklyn: Eclipses glasses, check. Lawn chair, check.

Ralph Emerson held a pair of paper sunglasses in his hands while riding the subway to Brooklyn's sprawling Prospect Park on Monday. He exited the train with a folded lawn chair strapped across his shoulder, and said he felt energized and full of anticipation.

"This is special," Emerson, 61, said. "I haven't woken up with this much excitement since the Super Bowl."

Walking to the park's botanic garden, Emerson said appreciating natural phenomena makes it easier to manage the stresses that come with living in a big city. Also like a big sports game, the eclipse will draw lots of people together to experience something much larger than themselves, in community, he said.

"A lot of times it's tragedies that bring us together, but sometimes things like this do," he said.

− Claire Thornton

Texas Eclipse Festival cut short by weather

The Texas Eclipse Festival was canceled Monday in Burnet County, 50 miles northwest of Austin, because of weather concerns. The festival, which included bands and other events, began Sunday and was supposed to wrap up Tuesday.

"We regret to inform you of the severe weather forecast, including risks of high winds, tornadic activity, large hail, and thunderstorms for later today, including during the eclipse, Tuesday, and Wednesday," festival organizers said on their website. "Your safety is our top priority."

Festivalgoers were urged to leave early for safety and to beat traffic. Guests, however, were allowed to stay "provided they pack and are prepared to depart after totality."

Traffic jams, collisions mar eclipse watchers' travel

Traffic crashes and road delays were reported across the nation as Americans flocked to prime locations to gaze up at the rare solar eclipse . Local roads and highways in states including Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Vermont and New Hampshire were overwhelmed with eclipse chasers, many of whom were from out of state. The most intense bottlenecks appeared to be in the path of totality , where spectators will be able to view the full eclipse.

In Oklahoma, a crash around 7:30 a.m. local time narrowed eastbound lanes on I-40, a major transcontinental highway that runs from California to North Carolina. The crash occurred not far from several state parks that were hosting eclipse events, and it's also within driving distance of the full eclipse path, which includes parts of southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Multiple crashes were reported on an interstate in Waco, Texas, a city in the path of totality, where several festivities and eclipse viewing events were scheduled. The crashes all occurred on I-35, which runs from southern Texas to Minnesota.

"Expect major traffic delays in this area," the Texas Department of Transportation said in a statement .

− Christopher Cann

Airport draws a crowd of jets for eclipse

EAGLE PASS, Texas − Maverick County International Airport in Eagle Pass, Texas, usually sees maybe three private planes a day. By 10 a.m. CT on Monday, more than 10 planes crowded the tarmac, including Cessnas, Pipers and at least one corporate jet − all there to catch an early glimpse of the total solar eclipse. Eagle Pass will be one of the first American cities to witness the phenomenon. Some watchers, like Brandon Beck, 43, flew in Sunday night from San Diego and spent the night in a sleeping bag on the tarmac next to his friend’s Mooney single-prop piston four-seater.“We’re so lucky to be on a planet where the sun is the perfect size and perfect distance to create that effect,” he said. “It’s obligatory. We have to see it.”

First the Cherry Blossoms, then the eclipse

WASHINGTON − The Cherry Blossoms brought Ali and Aurore Youssouf to the city all the way from Paris, but the pair were delighted to learn that their trip would overlap with the eclipse. The day is extra special for Aurore Youssouf, 43, who has never seen an eclipse before. On Monday morning, the couple arrived by chance at the National Mall early enough to snag a few pairs of free eclipse glasses distributed by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for the occasion.“We didn’t even know. We just ended up here and found out that they were giving away some glasses,” said Ali Youssouf, 46.

Awaiting eclipse − and hail − in Texas

KERRVILLE, Texas − Forecasts called for considerable cloudiness, rain and possible hail, but retired NASA engineer Jeff Stone stayed positive as he and his wife prepared to host more than a dozen people for a watch party at their hilltop home in Texas Hill Country. Stone, an eclipse enthusiast who had met family in Missouri to watch the solar eclipse of 2017, said he recently reviewed video footage of that event and said current conditions weren’t that much different than they were back then.

“I’m outside and seeing patches of blue among scattered clouds, so we’re remaining hopeful,” he said.

About 150 miles to the northeast in Gatesville, lead pastor Eric Moffett of Coryell Community Church said a similar forecast did little to deter an expected gathering of about 800 visitors for the church’s family-oriented “Eclipse at the Crosses” event. Many, if not most, were from out of town or even out of country − Canada, Wales, France, Italy. Many locals were staying home to avoid the crowd, he said.

“It’s partly cloudy, but the sun is shining on me right now,” he said. “We are praying that it stays that way.”

− Marc Ramirez

What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

A  total solar eclipse  occurs when the moon comes in between the Earth and the sun, blocking its light from reaching our planet, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth. The Earth blocks the sunlight that normally reaches the moon. Instead of that sunlight hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it.

A lunar eclipse can last for a few hours, while a solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes. Solar eclipses also rarely occur, while lunar eclipses are comparatively more frequent. While at least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, total lunar eclipses are still rare, NASA says. Another major difference: No special glasses or gizmos are needed to view the a lunar eclipse, and people can directly stare at the moon.

− Saman Shafiq

Solar eclipse, lunar eclipse: What is the difference?

Can you drive during the solar eclipse?

The  2024 solar eclipse  will shroud much of the United States in darkness on Monday, leaving many people to wonder: Is it safe to drive during the solar eclipse?

It is safe to drive during an eclipse as long as you don't look up at the sky. AAA is telling drivers to be focused on the road if they are operating a car during the total solar eclipse. But the automobile insurance company is advising Americans who want to safely view the total eclipse to "find a safe place to park (not on the side of a road or highway) away from other traffic and then wear your eclipse glasses," said Aixa Diaz, a spokeswoman from AAA.

"Pack your patience, whether traveling a great distance or locally," Diaz said. "People will be out and about to catch a glimpse of the eclipse."

A similar scenario  played out in 2017 during the nation's last total solar eclipse : Congestion in some areas lasted for up to 13 hours after totality,  according to Transportation Research News , a National Research Council publication. An analysis of traffic patterns from that year suggests the worst of the traffic – on interstates and rural back roads alike – will kick off after the eclipse ends and everyone tries to leave all at once.

− Kayla Jimenez

When will the next solar eclipse happen?

It will be 20 years before there's a chance to  witness a total solar eclipse  in the United States again. According to NASA, after Monday's total solar  eclipse , the next one viewable from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Unfortunately, the 2044 total  solar eclipse  won't have the broad reach across the U.S. as the 2024 eclipse. The path of totality during the 2044 eclipse will only touch three states, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach and political space advocacy. The eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

But another eclipse scheduledfor Saturday, Aug. 12, 2045, will trace a path of totality over California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

− Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Gabe Hauari and Eric Lagatta

Eclipse and pets: It's not the sky that's the problem

An  eclipse  itself isn't dangerous for domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but experts say it's probably best to not bring pets to  experience the April 2024 total solar eclipse . Experts' biggest concern is not what’s happening in the sky but on the ground as crowds of excited and  eager people gather , said Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dogs especially will take their cues from their owners rather than  the celestial event.

“Rather than the effects of the eclipse, I would be more worried about the excitement and all of the people,” Carlson said.

− Elizabeth Weise

A guide to the solar eclipse for kids

Here's an easy-to read, illustrated guide to help kids understand what the  April 8 total solar eclipse  means, where it will be visible and how you can watch it safely. It also shows them how an ordinary kitchen colander can easily be used to view a solar eclipse − the colander's holes can project crescent images of the sun onto the ground. There are even pages that can be downloaded and colored.

Trump's eclipse experience lit up internet in 2017

Seven years ago, when the last  total solar eclipse  crossed over North America, a photo of then-President Donald Trump  seemingly gazing at the sun with his naked eyes set the internet ablaze . During the afternoon of Aug. 21, 2017, Trump, who was president at the time, was joined by then first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron  to watch the rare phenomenon from the Truman Balcony  at the White House. Photos taken by members of the media captured all three donning eclipse glasses while looking at the eclipse.

But at one point during the viewing, the former president was captured in photos and videos without proper eye protection, seemingly gazing directly at the sun. Looking at an eclipse before or after the brief phase of totality without proper eyewear  can lead to eye damage .

− Natalie Neysa Alund

When is the next total solar eclipse? What to know about the next eclipse's path, timing

How to make a solar eclipse viewer

People who didn't manage to get their  hands on glasses  are not completely down and out. There are other safe ways to view the eclipse , say experts, and a lot of them only require a little bit of craftiness and items you can find lying around the house.

Steps to make the cereal box eclipse viewer (And here is a video aid) :

• Get an empty, clean cereal box.
• Cut a white piece of cardboard that will fit snuggly in the bottom of the box, or secure it permanently by gluing it in place.
• Cut the top of the cereal box, removing both ends and leaving the center intact.
• Put a piece of tape across the center of the top to securely hold it closed.
• Tape a piece of heavy-duty foil or double a single layer for additional strength, covering one of the openings at the top of the cereal box. The other opening will remain open for viewing.
• Using a small nail (approximately 3mm in diameter) push a hole in the foil.
• Cover the entire box with construction paper, leaving the single-viewing opening and the foil uncovered.

The finished box should be held with the pin-hole side facing the sun. It may take a little practice pointing the box. With your back facing the sun, look through the viewing opening. A small image of the sun, about ½ cm in diameter, can be seen projected on the white paper inside the box.

− Mary Walrath-Holdrid

What is the path of the solar eclipse called?

Those in the direct line of the eclipse will be treated to an incredible sight as the moon completely blots out the sun's disk, ushering in uncharacteristic darkness and revealing the sun's elusive outermost layer called the corona. That moment is called "totality" and this year the path of totality crosses through 13 U.S. states.

The last total solar eclipse to cut through North America was in August 2017.

How to look at eclipse without glasses

A total solar eclipse offers skygazers the rare opportunity to witness the eclipse with the naked eye. However,  solar eclipse glasses  are still needed until totality is reached. 

Certified solar eclipse  glasses are crucial for spectators to avoid the sun's retina-damaging rays. But when the moon moves completely in front of the sun and blocks its light, you'll know it's  safe to remove the glasses  for a short period of time.

How fast does an eclipse shadow travel?

According to a post from the  National Weather Service  in Indianapolis on X, an eclipse shadow travels at speeds from 1,100 to 5,000 mph. Near the equator, it travels at around 1,100 mph and increases in speed as it approaches the poles.

The eclipse party is over? Time to recycle those glasses!

Astronomers Without Borders , or AWB, a non-profit organization running its second nationwide  eclipse glasses recycling drive . Her business will join over 300 schools, museums, city governments, commercial businesses, community organizations and local libraries that will collect and ship an estimated  millions of glasses  to be repurposed for use by underserved communities around the world in  future solar eclipses .

AWB launched its first run of the program after the last solar eclipse in 2017 when volunteer centers across the country collected millions of the glass. After vetting them for reuse, more than  half a million glasses were distributed to Africa, Asia and South America.

People can visit  AWB's website  to find their nearest participating collection center and learn more about recycling the glasses, said Andrew Fazekas, the organization's communication manager.  

"We figure there's probably going to be tens of millions of glasses out there at the very least," he said. "And most of them are probably very gently used."