Astronauts aboard the International Space Station eagerly await the April 8 total solar eclipse but face challenges in pinpointing the ideal camera angles due to the station’s ever-changing orbit. Explore the crew’s preparations and excitement as they gear up to capture this celestial spectacle from their unique vantage point.
Capturing the April 8 Total Solar Eclipse from the International Space Station
The astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are gearing up to witness and document the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, 2023. However, pinpointing the exact location to aim their cameras is a challenge due to the station’s ever-changing orbit.
The Expedition 71 crew, including the soon-to-arrive SpaceX Crew-8 members, is finalizing plans to observe the celestial event as the ISS passes over the United States. NASA astronauts Michael Barratt and Matthew Dominick shared that while the cameras are ready, and the crew is trained, the timing and viewing angle can’t be determined until much closer to the eclipse date.
The primary reason for this uncertainty is the need to occasionally adjust the ISS’s orbit to avoid collisions with space debris. As Barratt explained, “Every once in a while, we have to tweak the orbit of our station to avoid hitting stuff. The closer we get [to April], the more we’ll be able to sharpen our approach. We’ll know what our viewing angle is going to be.”
Crew-8, consisting of NASA astronauts Dominick (commander), Barratt (pilot), Jeanette Epps (mission specialist), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin (mission specialist), will spend roughly six months on the ISS, during which the total solar eclipse will occur.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon perfectly aligns with the sun from Earth’s perspective, completely covering the sun’s disk. The upcoming eclipse on April 8 will be visible across much of the United States, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.
For Barratt, this won’t be his first time observing an eclipse from the air. During the 2017 total solar eclipse in the U.S., he witnessed the event from a chartered Alaska Airlines flight at 40,000 feet. “The shadow was just speeding, hurtling towards the mainland. It was really amazing to me,” he recalled.
Advancements in digital camera technology since 2017 have the astronauts excited about capturing even more detailed imagery of the upcoming eclipse. As Barratt noted, “The big difference now is the camera complement (and) the imagery will be, I think, much more crisp and much, much more capable. We will stand ready on our very unique platform to capture it the best we can.”
On the Russian side, Grebenkin expressed his anticipation for the event, stating, “I am planning to do my best to take pictures and also observe the event itself,” although he hasn’t received specific training for observing the eclipse.
With careful planning and the unique vantage point of the ISS, the astronauts hope to capture stunning views of the total solar eclipse, providing an extraordinary perspective on this celestial phenomenon.
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