A total solar eclipse through a lens of faith. [Video]

When the moon passes between the sun and Earth creating a total solar eclipse on April 8, many Catholics in its path will be looking skyward to observe the phenomenon from a spiritual and scientific perspective.

Some will gather at retreat centers to reflect on the eclipse as a metaphor for the darkness and shadow in their own lives, while others, like a group of students at the Catholic University of America who will be studying the eclipse in collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will take a more methodical approach. 

A partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout North America and Central America on April 8, but only those in what is known as the “path of totality” will be able to observe the sun completely eclipsed by the moon. 

At the Vatican Observatory, the total eclipse won’t be viewable at the two locations, through the main telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona or through …