A sun-gazing spacecraft photographed the moon passing in front of the sun's face on Wednesday (June 29).
The solar eclipse was captured in motion by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (or SDO) from its unique vantage position in orbit, the only place where this eclipse was visible.
SDO often considers the sun to be the cause of space weather or radiation in space that impacts Earth. It investigates the sun's magnetic field, sunspots, and other factors that impact activity over the 11-year solar cycle.
SDO was launched in February 2010 and is part of NASA and its partner agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's network of solar satellites (NOAA). The sun has been particularly active recently, and it is unusually early in its cycle, which is expected to climax around 2025.
Scientists are curious in the origins of solar flares and the coronal mass ejections of charged particles that might cause beautiful auroras in Earth's atmosphere if the CMEs are targeted at our planet. CMEs are usually innocuous, but large bursts can interrupt satellites, electricity lines, and other infrastructure, which is why scientists are so concerned about accurate forecasts.
Notably, NASA has launched the Parker Solar Probe, a close-up sungazing mission, to examine the corona, or superheated outer part of the sun, while other satellites observe from a greater distance to gather perspective.
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Music: "Thunderbolt" by Lars Leonhard
Narrated by:
Max Culina
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