Meir shared photographs captured from the Russian phase of the ISS, which noticed a partial photo voltaic eclipse.
The photo voltaic eclipse on August 12 wowed thousands and thousands around the globe, and numerous footage of the occasion are going viral on social media. Whereas residents of mainland Europe—notably Iceland and Spain—had been fortunate to witness a total solar eclipse, these within the US, Canada, Africa, and lots of European nations noticed a partial eclipse. However as thrilling because the phenomenon was for individuals on Earth, these in house proper now had been handled to equally gorgeous views.
Given the placement of the @Space_Station on the time of the full photo voltaic eclipse at the moment, we noticed solely a partial eclipse, with a peak of round 18% solar protection. Right here’s the way it appeared from a window within the Russian phase about 45 minutes in the past. Picture of the solar taken with a Nikon Z9,… pic.twitter.com/BUrMQVR808
— Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica) August 12, 2026
Crew-12 mission commander and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir has shared some footage of the eclipse captured from the International Space Station (ISS), which supplied a singular perspective of the occasion from low Earth orbit. Taking to X on August 12, she posted: “Given the placement of the Worldwide House Station on the time of the full photo voltaic eclipse at the moment, we noticed solely a partial eclipse, with a peak of round 18% solar protection. Right here’s the way it appeared from a window within the Russian phase about 45 minutes in the past.” The photographs had been taken utilizing a particular filter on her digicam and present the Moon taking a chunk out of the Solar, because it occurs throughout a partial eclipse.
A complete photo voltaic eclipse happens when the Moon fully blocks the Solar, and it’s seen solely alongside a slim area on Earth, additionally known as the trail of totality. Areas exterior this path get a partial eclipse. The trail of totality yesterday handed by means of northern Russia, Spain, Iceland, Greenland, and a small nook of Portugal, making it the primary complete photo voltaic eclipse to be seen from mainland Europe since 1999.
Within the US, a partial eclipse was seen from Alaska to North Carolina and lasted shut to 2 hours in some cities. NASA made good use of the chance to check the Solar in the course of the photo voltaic eclipse, because it may reveal loads in regards to the formation of photo voltaic prominences—big loops of charged plasma extending away from the floor—and will reply why the corona (outer photo voltaic ambiance) heats to one million levels. The company additionally supported experiments, together with scientific balloons that had been launched by college students in Iceland and Spain to analyze the modifications a photo voltaic eclipse causes in Earth’s ambiance.
Two weeks from now, we might be handled to an ‘nearly Blood Moon’ throughout a lunar eclipse. An eclipse with this type of protection will not be seen once more till New Yr’s Eve 2028. Based on EarthSky, it can start at 8:23 p.m. CDT on August 27 and finish at 2:02 a.m. CDT on August 28. Residents in North and South America may have the perfect views of the eclipse general, whereas Europe and Africa will get glorious views of the predawn moonset eclipse.
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