The total solar eclipse on Saturday, December 4 was most clearly visible from Antarctica and some parts of South America along with other southern spots of the Earth like Australia and New Zealand.
While space enthusiasts in these places made elaborate arrangements to witness the last solar eclipse of 2021, astronauts in space also got a chance to witness the phenomenon.
NASA
Incredible view of Earth
The Expedition 66 crew aboard International Space Station witnessed an incredible view of the solar eclipse through the cupola, a 360 degree window into space.
NASA astronaut referred to the solar eclipse as an “incredible sight to behold.” The moon’s shadow fell on the Earth, which the astronauts were directly able to see, even when they were not orbiting the region near Antarctica.
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“Saturday morning, the Expedition 66 crew squeezed into the Cupola to check out the total solar eclipse that occurred over Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Here the moon casts an oblong shadow on the Earth’s surface. It was an incredible sight to behold” – a Tweet by NASA’s official handle said.
On its official website, NASA also shared a complete image of Earth in space during the total solar eclipse from 1.5 million kilometres away. “The EPIC instrument on the DSCOVR spacecraft captured the eclipse’s umbra, the dark, inner shadow of planet Earth. Shaped like a cone extending into space, it has a circular cross section most easily seen during an eclipse,” NASA said.
NASA
Owing to the peculiar visibility requirements for total solar eclipse, only people in a few places situated in the southern hemisphere of Earth were able to see the eclipse first-hand. For others, NASA enabled a livestream on YouTube to see the eclipse in its full glory.
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According to NASA, such solar eclipses can help scientists get a better look at the sun’s corona, bypassing limitations of existing human technology.
Were you able to see the eclipse in action? Share with us in the comments below. For more in the world of science and technology, keep reading universo virtual.com.