A total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the United States Aug. 21, treating amateur and
professional astronomers alike to sights similar to this NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory ultraviolet image of the moon eclipsing the sun on Jan. 31, 2014.
Google's launch this week of Sky, a new feature within Google Earth that provides a virtual tour of celestial phenomena, may be of limited use to
professional astronomers, but its impact on future scientists and amateur stargazers
alike is expected to be as infinite and expansive as the universe it portrays.