5/29/2023 0 Comments Space station eclips ephotos![]() "The ISS is put together something like an erector set," explains Suggs. During that time astronauts looking out the windows might see crescent-shaped sunbeams playing across the station's outer hull. The station itself will be inside the penumbra for about 15 minutes. Note the curved sunbeams on Penny's back and legs. Right: California photographer David Larzelere's dog Penny was in the Moon's penumbral shadow during the June 10, 2002, partial eclipse. (Note: Never look directly at the sun-even an eclipsed sun-without suitable eye protection.) It's more fun, however, to look down at the ground where sunbeams passing through, e.g., window slats or tree leaves make curved splashes of light. Sky watchers inside the penumbra, which is thousands of kilometers wide, can look up and see a crescent-shaped sun. Surrounding the umbra is the penumbra-a vast region of gray shadow where the Sun is only partially covered. They become thereafter dedicated eclipse-chasers. For some sky watchers beholding their first eclipse, it's a life-altering experience. The ghostly solar corona springs into view and spreads across the sky. Strange banded shadows ripple across the ground just before the sun disappears. ![]() Anyone standing in the umbra's path, called the "path of totality," experiences something unforgettable. Innermost is the umbra, an 80 km-wide region as dark as night. Pettit's photos would capture both parts of the moon's shadow: "Schedule permitting, Don might try to photograph the shadow and maybe even capture it on video," says Suggs, who's helping Pettit figure out when and where to look. He's an amateur astronomer and an avid astrophotographer. The station's new science officer, Don Pettit, hopes to see for himself. The area of total eclipse is marked by the tiny dark spot (the umbra) at the center of the shadow. Within the lightly shaded area (the penumbra) observers see a partial eclipse. Left: British astronomer Andrew Sinclair created this animation of the Moon's shadow on Dec. "That's when anyone looking out the station's starboard-side windows should be able to see the darkest part of the moon's shadow." It illustrates Suggs' findings: "The best view will come at 0757 UT," he says. His colleague, NASA's Bill Cooke, has prepared a marvelous animation of the space station circling the earth on Dec. "The ISS circles the earth every 90 minutes it will fly over the Indian Ocean three times during the eclipse," says Suggs. Not many people will see it during that time. It takes 3 hours for the shadow to cross the ocean. Alert sky watchers in Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique can see the eclipse just after local sunrise.īy 0630 UT, the shadow will be in the Indian Ocean and heading for Australia, where observers will later watch the eclipse around sunset. It will race across five African countries in only 30 minutes. The shadow moves fast, about 2000 km per hour. 4th when the Moon's shadow falls on the Atlantic Ocean near southern Africa. This one takes place entirely in the southern hemisphere. Total solar eclipses happen somewhere on Earth about once each year. Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery
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