NASA sun mission spots stunning solar eclipse in space
The moon's mountains were 'backlit by solar fire' at the peak.
A sungazing spacecraft captured the moon passing in front of the face of the sun Wednesday (June 29).
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the solar eclipse in action from its unique vantage point in space, the only spot where this eclipse was visible.
"At the peak of the eclipse, the moon covered 67% of the sun, and lunar mountains were backlit by solar fire," wrote SpaceWeather.com Wednesday morning EDT. (NASA had not yet commented about the event.)
Related: The sun's wrath: Worst solar storms in history
SDO usually looks at the sun as the source of space weather, or radiation in space that affects the Earth. Aspects it studies include the sun's magnetic field, sunspots and other aspects that influence activity during the regular 11-year solar cycle.
"SDO studies how solar activity is created and drives space weather. The spacecraft's measurements of the sun's interior, atmosphere, magnetic field, and energy output all work to help us understand the star we live with," NASA wrote of the mission.
SDO launched in February 2010 and forms part of a network of solar spacecraft from NASA and its partner agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The sun has been quite active lately and unusually early in its cycle, which should reach the peak around 2025.
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Scientists are interested in following the origin story of solar flares and accompanying coronal mass ejections of charged particles, which can create colorful auroras in Earth's atmosphere if the CMEs are aimed at our planet. Usually CMEs are harmless, but strong bursts may disrupt satellites, power lines and other infrastructure, which is why scientists are so keen on good predictions.
Notably, NASA has sent a close-up sungazing mission called Parker Solar Probe to investigate the corona or superheated outer region of the sun, as other satellites watch from further away to gain context.
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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