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One of the biggest misconceptions about solar eclipses is that enjoying them requires expensive solar gear. Telescopes, tracking mounts, cameras, telephoto lenses and solar filters are all part of the kitbag for serious eclipse photographers, but the reality is that many travel with surprisingly little equipment.That will be especially true on Aug. 12, 2026. The total solar eclipse crossing Greenland, Iceland and Spain is the headline attraction that day closely followed by a partial solar eclipse across Europe and in Canada and the U.S. Northeast but it won't be the only celestial event worth seeing. Just hours later, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak beneath moonless skies. So any eclipse kit built for the Aug. 12 eclipse should therefore be designed with one eye on a night-shoot capturing "shooting stars." Here's what to buy for your eclipse-meets-Perseids double-header, according to your budget.Under $50: Keep it simpleSolar eclipse glasses should be your first investment. (Image credit: Getty Images)If your budget is less than $50, the good news is that you're not excluded from the eclipse experience. In fact, you can assemble everything necessary for a memorable eclipse day without spending very much at all. The first purchase should always be certified eclipse glasses. Find some safe suppliers that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard for solar viewers, and consider buying more than you need (somebody nearby will almost certainly forget theirs). A handheld solar viewer is a worthwhile alternative, offering a slightly larger and often more comfortable view than eclipse glasses alone.With the remaining budget, I'd focus less on astronomy equipment and more on practicality. A compact power bank and a reclining lawn chair (handy for the eclipse and the Perseids) could all be within your budget. Eclipse day involves a great deal of waiting, but if you're standing in the path of totality or primed to see a partial eclipse eclipse glasses and a clear sky are all you really need to experience something extraordinary. Under $200: The biggest upgrade you can makeA pair of solar binoculars is a fabulous upgrade if youre observing only a partial solar eclipse. (Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes)Once your budget reaches around $200, I'd start thinking about binoculars. For many people, the single best upgrade is a pair of dedicated solar binoculars. You can get mini pairs, such as the Celestron EclipSmart 10x25 and Lunt 6x30 Mini Sunoculars, or more substantial pairs like the Celestron Eclipsmart 10x42 and Celestron EclipSmart 20x50. We've tried them all, and can tell you that the Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars are the best (and easiest to find the sun with, which beginners always find is surprisingly small in the sky).Unlike eclipse glasses, which show the sun as a small orange or white disk, solar binoculars reveal sunspots and make the moon's gradual progress across the solar surface much more engaging. They offer far more detail without introducing the complexity of a telescope. These are the best upgrades you can make if you're not in the path of totality and want to maximize your view of the partial phases of the eclipse.If you're in the path of totality awaiting a total solar eclipse, forgo the solar binoculars and get yourself a good pair of conventional binoculars. The reason is simple: the partial eclipse will be interesting to watch through your eclipse glasses, but it's the totally eclipsed sun and the beautiful solar corona that's revealed when it gets dark which is the star attraction. You can safely see it with the naked eye or through conventional binoculars (but ONLY when the entire disk of the sun is blocked during totality, which will be for a minute or two). A good choice would be a pair of 10x42 or 10x50, not only because you'll get a great view of the solar corona and prominences loops of plasma from the sun's surface but because they'll double as excellent stargazing binoculars for sweeping across the Milky Way's rich star fields, bright clusters and countless stars when it gets dark. Using products like DayStar Filters and Baader AstroSolar Safety Film ND 5.0, you can make any pair of conventional binoculars into temporary solar binoculars (use a solar filter for one lens and cap the other). Under $500: Enter the smart telescopeSmart telescopes will enable easy images of a solar eclipse. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)At around $500, a completely different category of equipment becomes available. If we were building an eclipse kit from scratch, this is probably the budget level that would tempt us most because it opens the door to smart telescopes. Devices such as the Seestar S30 and Seestar S30 Pro (as well as the upcoming Seestar S30 Pro Eclipse Edition), DwarfLab Dwarf Mini and Vaonis Vespera Pro are portable and can automatically track the sun. All either have solar filters in the box, or their makers sell them separately (or you can make your own see above).The appeal of a smart telescope is that it can track the sun and photograph the eclipse while demanding relatively little attention from the user. With a solar filter fitted, a smart telescope can safely image the partial phases. For those in the path of totality, the totally eclipsed sun can also be imaged just remember to take the solar filter off, and put it back on again when totality ends. You can then switch to capturing deep-sky objects at night, something you can do without much fuss while you watch the Perseid meteor shower peak with your naked eyes (the only way). Over $1,000: Getting a close-upCameras and telescopes will get you a close-up of the eclipse. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)Once you move beyond the $1,000 mark, your options are myriad. Personally, we would go straight for some image-stabilized binoculars. Models such as the Canon 10x42L IS WP, Canon 15x50 IS All Weather or Canon 12x36 IS III are among the most impressive astronomical instruments available to eclipse chasers because they combine premium optics with stabilization technology that effectively removes hand shake. When you're standing in the path of totality looking at the sun's corona in close-up, image stabilization is absolutely what you want. If you chase solar eclipses every few years, they're worth buying for the few minutes of totality you get to experience. For the partial phases, we use a homemade solar filter on one lens and cap the other lens. Alongside those binoculars, we'd be tempted by a smart telescope for getting basic, but impressive images.If you like a challenge, you could, of course, go straight for manual photography. Get a mirrorless or DSLR camera and a zoom lens, and you can have a go at imaging the solar corona yourself. You could also consider pairing a camera with a telescope and a star (or solar) tracking mount that can automatically track the sun. You'll also need to add a quality tripod and solar filters. If you fancy imaging the Perseid meteor shower later that night or for any landscape astrophotography and the Milky Way you'll also need a wide-angle lens. Research, rehearse, prepareThe danger at this budget level is believing that more equipment automatically produces a better experience. It doesn't. Every eclipse attracts photographers and observers carrying thousands of dollars' worth of gear, but many typically first-timers spend totality worrying about camera settings instead of looking at the sky. Whatever gear you buy, the best investment is always time time to research, rehearse and prepare, and also to arrive early enough to settle into your observing location. That applies to whatever kind of solar eclipse you're in line for. Whether your budget is $50 or $5,000, the perfect eclipse kit is the one that allows you to experience a solar eclipse and if that includes totality, know that it will be a priceless experience.

NASA has selected a concept study, led by physicist Paul Stankus, exploring whether a pair of spacecraft flying in tight formation could one day produce an actual image of an Earth like exoplanet's surface, oceans, continents and all. It's an early stage idea, backed by NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program, but if it ever came together, it would represent an extraordinary leap beyond simply detecting a distant world to genuinely seeing its face.

A team of researchers have found a surprisingly simple way to boost the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors like LIGO. Its surprisingly simple to, just point an ordinary thermal imaging camera at the mirrors themselves. The technique could improve LIGO's next upgrade by up to 31%, letting it detect neutron star collisions tens of millions of light years farther away, and is already being built into the design of its planned successor, Cosmic Explorer.

A new study presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting suggests that solar storms may warm the Martian lower atmosphere, but only when they strike during a major Martian dust storm. The discovery was accidental, emerging from a search for a different effect entirely, and hints that the weather system on Mars may be more tangled and interconnected than scientists previously assumed.

The idea isn't to place a detector on the Moon, but to use the Moon itself. A new study says it may be easier than it sounds.

But I wore the juice, said one robber, not realizing he was only embarrassing himself further.

Theres more than one way wood can fossilize, and the difference can be extraordinarily revealing about what a location has been through

Maria Callas, a Greek-American operatic soprano, was one of the most influential opera singers of the 20th century. Her distinctive voice and charismatic stage presence dazzled audiences at the most famous opera houses, from La Scala in Milan to the Metropolitan in New York City, turning her into an icon in the 1950s and 1960s. As she began experiencing vocal problems, however, her career declined until she retired from the scene in 1965, when she was only 41 years old.Maria Callas Biography: The Early YearsPhoto of Maria Callas for the CBS talk show Small World, by CBS Television, 1958. Source: Wikimedia CommonsMaria Callas was born Maria Cecilia Sophia Anna on December 2, 1923, in New York City, the third child of Evangelia and George Kalogeropoulos. Her father later changed the family name to Callas, a word easier for English speakers to pronounce. Her parents, both Greek immigrants, already had a daughter, Yakinthi (Jackie), and a son, Vassilis, who died of meningitis in 1922 when he was only two years old. The increasingly worsening relationship between her parents turned Maria Callas childhood years into a challenging period. In 1937, after the end of her marriage, Evangelia returned to her native Greece with her two young daughters (Maria was 13 at the time).From an early age, Maria Callas musical talent became evident to her mother, who pushed her youngest daughter to perform. The relationship between Maria and her mother, however, was rocky, with the young singer feeling her mother preferred her older sister.My sister was slim and beautiful and friendly, and my mother always preferred her. I was the ugly duckling, fat and clumsy and unpopular. It is a cruel thing to make a child feel ugly and unwanted Ill never forgive her for taking my childhood away. During all the years I should have been playing and growing up, I was singing or making money. Everything I did for them was mostly good and everything they did to me was mostly bad, declared Maria Callas in a 1956 interview with Time.Maria Callas house in Athens, photograph by DIMSFIKAS, 2005. Source: Wikimedia CommonsUpon her return to Greece, young Maria enrolled at the National Conservatory, where she studied with singer Maria Trivella. At the time, her voice was still in the contralto range, the lowest female singing voice. However, when she continued her studies at the Athens Conservatory under the guidance of Elvira de Hidalgo, Callass voice rose to the soprano range, the highest human vocal register. The word soprano comes from the Italian sopra (meaning above), which, in turn, can be traced back to the Latin superius, a term used to refer to the highest register in the 13th-16th centuries polyphonic (multipart) music.In 1942, the young singing prodigy was ready to start her professional career, making her debut in the title role of Italian composer Giacomo Puccinis Tosca in Athens. By that time, Fascist Italy had already invaded Greece. The following year, the Italian forces were joined by the German army. Greece remained under Axis control until 1944. Little is known about Callas life during World War II, but the singer later accused her mother of forcing her to entertain Italian and German soldiers with her singing. As a result, Maria severed all contact with her mother. While Callas operatic career was set back by World War II, she nevertheless continued to perform.La Divina: An Opera IconMaria Callas with Italian tenor Mirto Picchi in Milan for Cherubinis Medea, by Carlo Cisventi, 1957. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Archivio Storico Ricordi, MilanAfter the end of the war, 22-year-old Maria Callas returned to her native New York City. By that time, she had already sung in seven operas with a total of 56 performances. While her scheduled performance as the title role of Puccinis Turandot for the inauguration of a new theater in Chicago fell through, her career soon took off in Italy. In 1947, she made her debut at the Arena in Verona in the title role of Amilcare Ponchiellis La Gioconda in a production featuring the Italian conductor Tullio Serafin, her future mentor.In the 1950s, her career skyrocketed, with Maria Callas performing in all the most prestigious opera houses in Europe and overseas. In the 1940s, she had mainly tackled traditional heavier roles, such as Giuseppe Verdis Aida, Isolde in Richard Wagners Tristan und Isolde, the mysterious Kundry (in Wagners Parsifal), and Brnnhilde (the valkyrie from the Norse mythology that inspired Wagner for his Ring Cycle). Tullio Serafin, however, encouraged her to take on lighter roles, especially from the so-called Italian bel canto repertoire.Meaning beautiful singing, bel canto is a type of operatic singing born in the 16th century that requires vocal agility and control from the performers. In the mid-1950s, Maria Callas took the operatic world by storm, performing in operas by Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti (both bel canto composers) as well as Verdi, Rossini, and Cherubini. Due to her success in these roles, the singer is often credited with reviving bel canto after a period of decline due to its technical difficulties.Maria Callas in the Netherlands, by Fotopersbureau De Boer, 1959. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Noord-Hollands ArchiefIn 1950, Callas made her debut at the prestigious La Scala theater in Milan in the title role of Verdis Aida. In the following decade, she was the lead singer in the theaters opening night six times. Her performance as Violetta, the tragic courtesan of Verdis La Traviata (literally meaning the fallen one), in the 1953 production directed by award-winning Italian stage and film director Luchino Visconti, is still considered a benchmark. Outside of Italy, she dazzled audiences in New York City, Mexico City, Berlin, London, Paris, Chicago, and Vienna, earning the nickname La Divina (The Divine One) from her fans. Maria Callas, with her distinctive eyes (and capped teeth), appeared on multiple magazine covers and in television shows.Besides her distinctive vocal tone (almost melancholic in quality), Maria Callas became known for her acting ability. While most operatic singers tended to stand in the middle of the stage and sing, Callas had an innate sense of theater and the ability to portray her roles with charisma and passion. She had an unusual ability to seek out the emotional nuance in phrases, in her arias and in her dramatic roles that went along with that particular timbre she had, remarks opera critic Conrad L. Osborne.Renata Tebaldi (Callas notorious rival) as Puccinis Madama Butterfly for the television program The Bell Telephone Hour, by NBC Television, c. 1959-1967. Source: Wikimedia CommonsWhile her exacting standards and dedication to her roles made her an icon of the operatic world, they also earned her a reputation as a demanding diva, causing disagreements with theater managers. In 1958, for example, Antonio Ghiringhelli, the manager of La Scala, lowered the curtains while she was still bowing to the audience. In the same year, her dispute with the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera was widely reported in the media.Callas also made headlines due to her feud (that divided the operatic world into two opposing factions) with Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi, whose melodious and bright voice earned her the nickname voce dangelo (angelic voice) and turned her into an international star.What Were Maria Callas Most Famous Roles?Maria Callas during the opening night of La Scala in Milan with theater manager Antonio Ghiringhelli, by AP Photo / Armando Trovati, December 7, 1970. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThroughout her career, Maria Callas sung more than 40 roles and recorded 20 operas. While her vocal range allowed her to perform a wide variety of roles, Callas moved theatergoers worldwide with her heartfelt interpretations of two operas: Vincenzo Bellinis Norma and Giacomo Puccinis Tosca.Written by the 19th-century bel canto composer in 1831, Norma is a tragedy set in ancient Gaul, where the druids, led by King Oroveso, vow revenge against the occupying Roman troops. Overosos daughter, high priestess Norma, is in love with Roman proconsul Pollione, with whom she has two children. Pollione, however, has fallen out of love with Norma and is now courting another young novice priestess, Adalgisa.Distraught, Norma contemplates murdering her children but cannot bring herself to do it. Meanwhile, Adalgisa promises to persuade Pollione to return to Norma. As news of the arrival of a new Roman official spreads, Overoso calls for a rebellion and demands a sacrificial victim. Norma offers herself as the victim, revealing to the druids that she has broken her vow of virginity. Deeply moved, Pollione joins her on the sacrificial pyre.Widely praised for her powerful interpretation of the tragic but noble priestess, Callas became especially known for her rendition of Casta diva (Chaste goddess), the operas most famous piece, a desperate plea for peace.Cover of the piano score of Giacomo Puccinis Tosca, by Adolfo Hohenstein, 1899. Source: Wikimedia CommonsBased on a French play with the same title, Puccinis Tosca is a political and romantic tragedy set in Rome in 1800 during the Napoleonic Wars. The famed singer Tosca does not know that her lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi, supported the newly dissolved free Roman Republic. While working on a portrait in the church of SantAndrea della Valle, Cavaradossi discovers fugitive Cesare Angelotti, a former consul of the republic, and agrees to help him hide from Baron Scarpia, the sadistic chief of police, in his secluded house in the countryside.Sensing that Cavaradossi is hiding something from her, Tosca becomes convinced he is betraying her with another woman. When Scarpia storms into the church, he quickly realizes the painter has helped Angelotti escape. Meanwhile, Tosca arrives to tell Cavaradossi she has to cancel her date to perform in a gala. To arouse Toscas jealousy, Scarpia presents her with an alleged proof of Cavaradossis betrayal. Enraged, Tosca wants to confront her lover. A gloating Scarpia orders his men to follow her.The final scene of Act II of Tosca. Source: Wikimedia CommonsUpon realizing her mistake, Tosca tries to plea for her lovers life with Scarpia, who taunts her by ordering his guards to torture Cavaradossi. Desperate, Tosca reveals Angelottis hiding place. Meanwhile, a messenger arrives with news of Napoleons victory at Marengo. Cavaradossi exults, and an enraged Scarpia sentences him to death. Tosca tries to negotiate a ransom, but Scarpia tells her he will only agree if she gives herself to him.After singing Vissi darte (I lived for the art), asking God why he had forsaken her in her hour of need, Tosca reluctantly agrees to Scarpias proposal. The chief of police promises her he will stage a mock execution. When he tries to embrace her, Tosca stabs him to death, declaring morto! Or gli perdono (He is dead! Now, I forgive him), a line Callas uttered with contempt mixed with anguish.Tosca then goes to Castel SantAngelo, where Cavaradossi is held, explaining to him about the fake execution. The firing squad, acting on Scarpias orders, however, kills him. As a group of policemen arrives to arrest her, a desperate Tosca throws herself off Castel SantAngelo.Who Was Maria Callas Husband?Photo of Aristotle Onassis, by Pieter Jongerhuis, 1967. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Dutch National ArchivesDuring her career, Maria Callas made headlines not only for her performances but also for her love life. In 1949, she married wealthy brick manufacturer Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a man 20 years her senior who became her manager. While her husband was a shrewd businessman who managed to secure high fees, Callas later accused him of exploiting her and robbing her of her earnings.In 1959, Callas and Meneghini were among the guests of a Mediterranean cruise organized by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis on his yacht, the Christina. During the cruise, Callas fell in love with Onassis and later left her husband. Callas and Onassis affair was widely publicized by the media, but in 1968, the Greek businessman married Jackie Kennedy, the widow of US President John F. Kennedy.Maria Callas Last Years and Cause of DeathMaria Callas at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, by Bert Verhoeff / Anefo, 1973. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Dutch National ArchivesBy the time Maria Callas met Onassis, rumors had already begun to spread that her voice was experiencing a notable decline. In particular, music critics and supporters noticed her voice trembled and sometimes seemed on the verge of breaking when in the higher register. In the 1960s, as the troubles with her vocal cords increased, she decreased the number of her performances and ultimately retired in 1965. Her last operatic performance was in the title role of Tosca at the Covent Garden in London on July 5. She was only 41 years old.In 1969, she starred in the film Medea by Italian poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini. A few years later, in 1972, she taught a series of master classes on operatic singing at the Juilliard School in New York City. Two years later, she went on a world concert tour with Italian tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, her long-time colleague (and lover). They held performances in Europe, North America, South Korea, and Japan.Maria Callas house in Paris. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe cause of the decline of Maria Callas voice has been the subject of endless speculation and studies. Many believe her extreme weight loss in the mid-1950s (she lost over 60 pounds in a year) and packed singing schedule are mostly to blame (in 1955 alone, she appeared in around 30 productions). Her colleague and close friend, operatic singer Tito Gobbi (who performed Baron Scarpia with Callas in several productions), however, claimed that Callas simply lost her confidence. According to Callas herself, her vocal troubles were caused by the weakening of the diaphragm.In her book Cast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas (2021), Lyndsy Spence declares that health issues led to the singers early retirement. Indeed, in the 1950s, Callas began to experience a troubling loss of vision coupled with sore teeth. During a rehearsal of Tosca, her wig caught fire when she stood too close to some candles. Her colleague Tito Gobbi had to improvise to avoid a tragedy. According to Spence, Callas issues were due to dermatomyositis, an autoimmune condition that causes muscle weakness. To ease her symptoms, Onassis unfortunately introduced the singer to prescription drugs.Maria Callas died from a heart attack on September 16, 1977, in Paris, where she had lived as a recluse in her later years.Maria Callas LegacyMaria Callas grave at the Pre-Lachaise cemetery in Paris (her ashes were later stolen and scattered in the Aegean Sea). Photo by Peter Poradisch, 2006. Source: Wikimedia CommonsMaria Callas later years have sometimes overshadowed her accomplishments. While many portray her as a tragic figure, heartbroken by Aristotle Onassis betrayal, she was a trailblazer in the operatic world. Her undeniable commitment to her art and high standards made her one of the most influential singers of all time, and her performances continue to inspire younger generations of opera singers.As her international career coincided with the spread of LP records, opera fans can still enjoy her vocal prowess and interpretations in countless recordings (both official and pirated). Maria Callas life has also been analyzed and retold in fiction and non-fiction books, documentaries, and films. In 1995, American playwright Terrence McNally staged her classes at Juilliard in Master Class. In 2002, Italian stage director Franco Zefirelli, who worked with Callas in several productions, directed Callas Forever. More recently, Angelina Jolie depicted the legendary singer in Maria (2024).