Video: Solar Eclipse Seen FromSpace
By Danielle Venton January7, 2011
The Earth-orbiting satellite Hinode caughtthis stunning video of the annular solar eclipse Jan. 4.
An annular eclipse occurs when the moon isslightly farther from Earth than usual and appears slightly smaller. When itmoves between the Earth and sun, it covers the center of the sun, leaving a bright,fiery ring, or annulus, at the edge.
Hinode, a Japanese mission, studies the sun’smagnetic fields and surface eruptions. The satellite carries threeNASA-developed telescopes that capture different types of light:
· Theoptical telescope sees visible light.
· TheX-ray telescope, which took the video above, can see deep inside the corona.
· Theultraviolet-light telescope reveals the deep, high-temperature processes thatheat the sun’s corona.
This will be a good year for eclipse fans.With four partial-solar and two total-lunar eclipses upcoming, watch for moresun shots.
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