The 1st solar eclipse of 2022 is stunning in these satellite views

The solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, was visible from the GOES-16 satellite.
The solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, was visible from the GOES-16 satellite. (Image credit: NOAA)

Professional observatories in Earth and space caught a spectacular eclipse of the sun in between their usual duties checking out solar weather.

The partial solar eclipse of April 30 was visible in a narrow band across parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and apparently, also in space.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared views on Twitter from two GOES series satellites that saw the moon passing in front of the face of the sun, from Earth's perspective.

Related: Black Moon solar eclipse looks otherworldly in stunning images

"The Solar Ultraviolet Imager (#SUVI) on #GOES16 caught a glimpse of the moon's disk as it passed in front of the Sun during the first #solareclipse of 2022," NOAA tweeted, along with a picture of the GOES-16 footage.

GOES-East also caught a quick view of the moon's shadow moving towards Chile, before it got lost in the sunset, per a second NOAA tweet.

From Chile, a National Science Foundation telescope at Cerro Tololo that's part of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) project also captured part of the partial solar eclipse, which was the first of 2022.

If you missed this eclipse, the next eclipse will be a total lunar eclipse that begins on May 15; the next solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 25.

You can prepare for the next solar eclipse with our guide on how to photograph a solar eclipse safely. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography can help you find the camera gear you need to capture your own snapshots.

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace