Hinode Sees Annular Solar Eclipse from Orbit

On Oct. 25, the international Hinode satellite used its X-ray Telescope to capture three passages of the Moon eclipsing the Sun. While Hinode was able to observe an annular eclipse from orbit, only a partial solar eclipse was visible from the ground in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Annular eclipses are nearly total with a bright ring of the Sun appearing around the outer edge of the Moon.