Science
Artemis 2 Astronauts Witnessed a Total Solar Eclipse While Circling the Moon
Imagine watching the sun vanish not behind clouds, but behind the entire Moon. Artemis 2 astronaut Victor Glover described exactly that sight during his crew's lunar flyby in April.
4 astronautscrew size on the Artemis 2 lunar flyby
The facts
- 1Four NASA astronauts flew around the Moon in April on the Artemis 2 mission and witnessed a total solar eclipse from lunar orbit.
- 2From their spacecraft, the Moon's own disk blocked the sun directly, a viewing angle impossible to recreate from Earth's surface.
- 3Astronaut Victor Glover described the sight as feeling 'like a hole in the universe,' according to Smithsonian Magazine's report on the flight.
- 4Researchers say the crew's firsthand account and observations could add useful data on how the sun's corona and lunar surroundings appear from deep space.
- 5Crewed views of eclipses from beyond Earth are still rare, so each mission's descriptions help scientists plan future lunar exploration and observation.
Why it matters
As NASA prepares crewed Moon landings later in the Artemis program, these firsthand accounts help scientists understand rare cosmic views and refine what future astronauts should watch for and record.
Sources
- Smithsonian Magazine
- NASA
