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24 April 2026
American Astronomical Society & Big Kid Science Release Totality 5.0
With a total solar eclipse coming to Greenland, Iceland, and Spain in 3½ months, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and Big Kid Science are excited to release version 5.0 of the Totality app, available free for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. This is a major upgrade and covers future total solar eclipses through the year 2050 — five years beyond the next “Great American” coast-to-coast total solar eclipse of August 2045.
Totality, your solar eclipse companion, puts essential information about total solar eclipses in your pocket. Version 5 includes the following features, among others:
- Interactive maps of recent (since 2017) and upcoming (through 2050) total solar eclipses worldwide, including this year’s and next year’s. (The 2027 total solar eclipse features the longest duration of totality in the remainder of the 21st century!) All maps are based on code by renowned eclipse expert Xavier Jubier.
- For a given eclipse…
- Zoom, scroll, and tap to move around each map, get a table of eclipse circumstances at any location, and bring up additional details.
- Get custom information (using your phone’s GPS) about what you can see at your current location.
- Find the nearest location where you can witness totality, the location along the path where totality lasts the longest, and, where possible, driving directions to the eclipse’s central line.
- Information on how, when, and why solar eclipses occur, as well as how to observe them safely and enjoyably.
- An upgraded user interface and User Guide, and new Quick Start and How to Use screens.
And it’s all free — with no ads — created as a public service by Big Kid Science and sponsored by the AAS.
The new and improved version 5.0 of Totality is available for iOS and Android devices in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. (The appropriate language appears automatically based on your device’s language setting.) This update was funded by the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force with support from NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Get Totality for iOS Get Totality for Android
To learn more, see the app’s pages at Big Kid Science and on the AAS solar-eclipse website.
Images
https://aas.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/Totality_V5_Screens_2026.jpg
Left: The Totality app’s splash screen. Center-left: Pull up this handy tutorial at any time from the main menu. Center-right: Easily access interactive maps of future total solar eclipses through 2050. Right: Map of the 12 August 2026 total solar eclipse across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. The central line is blue, with gray on either side to show the full width of the path of totality. The green arc at lower left shows the southern limit of the partial eclipse. In the area bounded by the yellow lines, some of the eclipse occurs after sunset.
https://aas.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/Totality_V5_Circumstances_2026.jpg
Left: Tap a spot in the path of totality — in this example, for the solar eclipse of 12 August 2026 — to pull up a summary of the total eclipse at that location. Center-left: After tapping the DETAILS button, you get detailed eclipse circumstances there. Center-right: Tap a spot outside the path to pull up a summary of the partial eclipse at that location. Right: After tapping the DETAILS button, you get detailed eclipse circumstances there. Each simulated eclipse illustration shows approximately what you’ll see at maximum eclipse at the location you’ve specified.
Contacts
About the AAS
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 9,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.
About Big Kid Science
Big Kid Science is your source for fun and scientifically accurate products to educate and inspire. Founded in 2003 by astronomer, teacher, and writer Jeffrey Bennett, Big Kid Science publishes award-winning books for teachers, students, and the public as well as learning activities and resources for children, families, and classroom instructors. The company devotes 100% of its revenue (not only its profits) to a combination of nonprofit donations and free public outreach, including the development of the Totality app.