How Solar Eclipse Looks From Space: NASA Shares Video
April 9, 2024 Science & Technology Videos
Breathtaking footage captured by NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) offers a unique perspective of Monday's total solar eclipse. The video showcases the moon's shadow sweeping across the Earth's surface as the eclipse path traversed North America.
The celestial event captivated millions of viewers across the continent, with the path of totality stretching from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland, Canada. This band crossed over 15 US states and is home to an estimated 44 million people.
During the eclipse, darkness engulfed those within the path of totality, while viewers in other parts of North America witnessed a partial eclipse, weather permitting.
Captured the moon's shadow cast upon Earth
The ISS also experienced the eclipse firsthand. "The windows on the cupola, the station's famed 'window to the world,' were open during the event," explains NASA. "Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps documented the phenomenon, capturing photos and videos of the moon's shadow, or umbra, cast upon Earth."
At the time of the eclipse, the space station orbited approximately 260 miles (418 km) above Canada as the moon's shadow tracked from New York to Newfoundland. "The ISS experienced roughly 90% totality during its flyover period," NASA reports.
Total solar eclipse won't happen again until 2046
Total solar eclipses occur globally every 11 to 18 months, but they don't often cross paths with millions of people. The 2017 eclipse marked the last time the US witnessed a total eclipse, with the next coast-to-coast spectacle not expected until 2046.