Touching the Sun weaves together the frontiers of heliophysics with Indigenous wisdom to explore the Sun’s fierce physical power and timeless symbolic meaning.

We follow the story of the Sun in real time – from the path of the 2024 total eclipse with Dr. Shadia Habbal’s trailblazing corona research spanning continents, to the far reaches of outer space with NASA’s daring heliophysics missions, the Parker Solar Probe and PUNCH. As science meets symbolism, we also profile Native American Sun Dancers who share insights into their Sun traditions, and explore the solar energy boom on the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota – where cultural heritage meets renewable innovation.

Your gift helps us finish filming these captivating stories – bridging pioneering Western science with time-honored cultural traditions, reshaping how we understand the Sun and ourselves.

Give now to power this extraordinary journey.

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Education That Inspires – Help Us Spark Lifelong Learning

For decades, PBS has been America’s most trusted and educational media outlet. Touching the Sun continues that legacy, offering rich educational resources that bring science and cultural stories to life for minds young and old. The Sun – the lifeforce of our planet – is often taken for granted. Yet it shapes our bodies and minds, ripens our harvests, drives our technologies, and may even hold the secret to limitless energy through the power of solar fusion.

With classroom lesson plans, digital shorts, and hands-on outreach activities, this project is more than a film – Touching the Sun is a dynamic learning platform.

Support a project that ignites curiosity, deepens understanding, and makes high-quality science and cultural education accessible to everyone.

Donate today to fund this enlightening and transformative project.

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Science Under Threat – Now Is the Time to Act

Science and critical research funding are in peril – at the very moment we need them most. Touching the Sun was born from the belief that science belongs to everyone, and that understanding our world should not be a privilege, but a right. With a commitment to bringing STEM and cultural understanding to underserved communities, this project aims to break barriers and foster the next-gen of science-literate citizens.

Your support ensures that crucial stories of discovery and resilience are told – and all communities have access to transformative STEM learning.

Give now to keep science alive.

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Your Gift Matters

We’ve completed Phase I of Touching the Sun, filming our lead solar scientist as her instruments onboard NASA’s WB-57 jets tracked the path of the solar eclipse – alongside heliophysicists, astronauts, STEM educators, artists, and Toltec elders from Mexico honoring the cosmic dance of the Sun and Moon.

With your help, we can raise $50,000 for Phase II to film NASA’s top solar research and missions, Indigenous knowledge keepers, and groundbreaking tribal solar power initiatives. Every dollar counts – $5,000 funds a day’s shoot; $2,500 covers an educational lesson plan; $1,000 brings hands-on solar activities to a museum; $500 offsets a RT airline ticket; $250 pays for a hotel room night; and $100 feeds the crew.

Be part of a journey that impacts and illuminates the future.

Donate now to touch the Sun — and feel the Sun touch you.

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