APOD: 2024 March 31 Á Total Solar Eclipse Below the Bottom of the World
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Credit & Copyright: Petr Horölek
(ESO
Photo Ambassador,
Inst. of Physics in Opava) ;
Acknowledgement:
Xavier Jubier
Explanation:
In late 2021 there was a total solar eclipse visible only at the end of the Earth.
To capture the
unusual phenomenon,
airplanes took flight below the clouded seascape of
Southern Ocean.
The featured image
shows one relatively spectacular capture where the
bright spot is the outer
corona of the Sun and the
eclipsing Moon
is seen as the dark spot in the center.
A wing and engine of the
airplane are visible across
the left and bottom of the image, while
another airplane observing the eclipse
is visible on the far left.
The dark area of the sky surrounding the
eclipsed Sun is called a
shadow cone.
It is dark because you are looking down a
long corridor of air shadowed by the Moon.
A careful inspection of the eclipsed Sun will reveal the
planet Mercury just to the right.
You won't have to travel to the end of the Earth to see the
next total solar eclipse.
The total eclipse path will cross
North America on
2024 April 8, just over
one week from today.
NASA Coverage:
Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 April 8
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: total solar eclipse
Publications with words: total solar eclipse
See also: