A Solar Eclipse Like No Other

A CLOSER LOOK

art002e010782 (April 6, 2026) - In this view captured by the Artemis II crew on the Orion spacecraft, a wedge of the Moon in nighttime is visible in the foreground, as the Sun is setting on the opposite side. This image captures the beginning of a total solar eclipse that astronauts were able to observe at the end of their lunar observation period during Orion’s closest approach to the Moon on April 6, 2026. Unlike minutes-long eclipses as viewed from Earth, the Artemis II crew witnessed the Sun hide behind the Moon for nearly an hour. Because the astronauts were so near the Moon, it appeared much larger than the Sun; because of this, it took longer for the Sun to make its transit across the Moon and peek out the other side. From Earth, in contrast, the Moon and Sun appear about the same s

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