What Spacecraft Saw During the 2017 Solar Eclipse

February 28, 2022
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On Aug. 21, 2017, a solar eclipse passed over North America. People throughout the continent experienced a partial solar eclipse, and a total solar eclipse passed over a narrow swath of land stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, called the path of totality.

NASA and its partners' satellites had a unique vantage point to watch the eclipse. Several Sun-watching satellites were in a position to see the Moon cross in front of the Sun, while many Earth-observing satellites - and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which typically images the Moon's landscape - captured images of the Moon's shadow on Earth's surface.