Press Release
Totality by Big Kid Science: The Premier FREE App for Learning About Solar Eclipses — Now Fully Updated and Available in Spanish!
[Boulder, Colorado, April 19, 2018] Big Kid Science, an educational company founded by astrophysicist Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, released what was widely called the best app for preparing for the 2017 total solar eclipse — and they made it completely free. Now, they have updated the free app — and released a Spanish version —to help you learn about eclipses at any time, and also to prepare for upcoming total solar eclipses including those in 2019 and 2020 that will be visible in Chile and Argentina, and the next USA eclipse in 2024. Everyone interested in astronomy or eclipses will want to download it and start learning now; teachers will be especially interested in its set of classroom activities that can be done at any time.
ABOUT TOTALITY
Would you like to see a total solar eclipse? Use the FREE app, Totality by Big Kid Science, to learn about upcoming eclipses around the world, including the 2024 eclipse in the U.S. and Mexico, and much more. Totality’s awesome features include:
• An interactive map that shows exactly what you’ll see at any location in the world for the next 5 total solar eclipses, including the 2019 and 2020 eclipses in South America and the next USA eclipse on April 8, 2024.
• Using your phone’s GPS, the app will tell you what you’ll see for these eclipses at your current location, as well as showing you the nearest locations where you can witness totality.
• For the 2024 USA eclipse, the app offers navigation tools to help you find your best route to the path of totality.
• The Learn screen will teach you how, when, and why eclipses occur, and also offers classroom activities, links to maps for upcoming solar and lunar eclipses through 2030 (and in some cases beyond), and much more.
• The Shop screen offers steep discounts on fantastic books about space and science, eclipse glasses (which you can use to look safely at the Sun at any time, not just during an eclipse), and links to some of our favorite space education non-profits.
• And it’s all absolutely free, including no ads!
Totality by Big Kid Science is available for both iOS and Android in both English and Spanish.
Totality by Big Kid Science was developed by Germinate LLC. The interface design was a joint effort of Germinate and Big Kid Science founder Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, while the interactive maps were created with eclipse code provided by Xavier Jubier. The educational content of the app was created by Dr. Bennett, with additional design work by Germinate LLC and Saffron Design.
TOTALITY APP Q&A
Q: With the 2017 eclipse behind us, isn’t it too late for an eclipse app?
A: No! The 2017 eclipse was the first total solar eclipse in the United States in almost four decades, but total eclipses occur somewhere every one to two years. The next two total solar eclipses will occur in 2019 and 2020, with both paths crossing Chile and Argentina and offering partial solar eclipses throughout South America. And there’s another great total solar eclipse coming to the USA in just six years (April 8, 2024). Totality offers everything you need to start planning now for these and other upcoming eclipses.
Q: I’m not quite ready to plan an eclipse trip; is there any other reason for me to download the app now?
A: Yes! The app is also loaded with information about eclipses and astronomy in general. Just tap the main menu icon in the upper left corner and go to the Learn screen, where among much more you’ll find: videos explaining the science of eclipses and why you’ll want to see one in the future; links to maps to learn about other eclipses, both solar and lunar; classroom activities that you can do at any time (not just when there’s an eclipse); and even information about the science of global warming.
Q: I’m a teacher; does the app offer anything that will help me in my teaching?
A: You bet! As above, it includes a set of classroom activities, most of which you can do at any time, all built to help you meet the Next Generation Science Standards. It also has lots of background information about eclipses, astronomy, and global warming that will help you as a teacher. And, of course, fantastic discounts on the great books from Big Kid Science, which you are sure to want for your classroom.
Q: How do I get the Spanish version of the Totality app?
A: Simply set your device language to Spanish rather than English, and the Spanish version will load automatically.
Q: How is this all free?
A: With all the excitement around last year’s eclipse, Big Kid Science founder Dr. Jeffrey Bennett decided to fund the development of the app as a public service to science education (and also donated 100,000 pairs of eclipse glasses to schools across the country), while Xavier Jubier agreed to contribute his fantastic eclipse code that powers the interactive maps in the app. We hope you will show support for this effort by purchasing Big Kid Science books using the discount code available within the app, and by supporting our favorite nonprofits working in space/astronomy education, including Story Time From Space, Astronomers Without Borders, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
ABOUT BIG KID SCIENCE
Big Kid Science (www.bigkidscience.com) publishes fun and scientifically accurate educational products, including award-winning books, and activities and resources for individuals, families, and classroom teachers. Founded by astrophysicist and educator Dr. Jeffrey Bennett, Big Kid Science also offers author visits and school programs. Six children’s books from Big Kid Science are currently aboard the International Space Station, where they have been read aloud by astronauts for the Story Time From Space (www.storytimefromspace.com) program. Big Kid Science also publishes books for grownups, including Dr. Bennett’s critically acclaimed books On Teaching Science and A Global Warming Primer.
ABOUT GERMINATE LLC
Founded in 2008 by Michael Krol, Germinate LLC is an interactive design and application development shop located in Portland, Oregon.
ABOUT THE TOTALITY ECLIPSE CODE
The eclipse code at the heart of the Totality by Big Kid Science app was developed as a public service by Xavier Jubier; learn more at xjubier.free.fr.
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