# 2017 Great American Eclipse

> Glasses sold out before an eclipse seen by an estimated 216 million American adults.

- Owner: null
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Culture (no sector)
- Seed date: 2017-08-21
- Observed peak date: Week of Aug 22, 2017
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 60 (Viral), v1.3
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Press loop, Sell-out loop, Controversy

## Summary

Glasses sold out before the eclipse crossed the US. Viewers traveled, shared images and watched broadcasts; NASA later reported more than 50 million live views across platforms. Tourism studies estimated spending, and volunteers supplied research data.

## Timeline

- 2017-04-27 — USPS (Retail) — USPS announced a heat-sensitive eclipse stamp and invited social posts with #EclipseStamps.
- 2017-07-20 — NASA / GLOBE Observer (Open web) — NASA invited viewers to report cloud and temperature observations through a free phone app.
- 2017-08-14 — TIME (Press) — TIME reported Amazon refunds and the removal of listings whose sellers had not supplied certification.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/great-american-eclipse-2017

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “2017 Great American Eclipse.” Case HIS-01599. Spread Score v1.3: 60/100. Updated 2026-10-23. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01599