NASA's Artemis II Crew to Experience Unique Total Solar Eclipse in Deep Space
Astronauts to witness rare Total Solar Eclipse on Artemis II today: Will it be visible from Earth
The Economic TimesImage: The Economic Times
On April 6, 2024, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission will witness a rare total solar eclipse visible only from their Orion spacecraft as they fly around the Moon. This event marks a historic milestone, as the astronauts will become the farthest humans from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.
- 01Artemis II crew will experience a 57-minute total solar eclipse from the Orion spacecraft.
- 02This eclipse will be invisible from Earth, occurring due to the spacecraft's unique position behind the Moon.
- 03The mission marks the first crewed journey beyond low-Earth orbit in over 50 years.
- 04Astronauts will achieve a new distance record, surpassing Apollo 13's previous mark.
- 05Live coverage of the mission will be available on NASA's streaming platform.
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On April 6, 2024, the four-member crew aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft will witness a 57-minute total solar eclipse while flying around the Moon during the Artemis II mission. This unique eclipse will not be visible from Earth, as it occurs from a vantage point behind the Moon, where the lunar body obscures the Sun. The astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—will also set a historic record by becoming the farthest humans from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 mission's distance record from 1970. As Orion enters the Moon's sphere of influence, it will briefly lose communication with mission control for about 40 minutes, reminiscent of earlier Apollo missions. The total solar eclipse will be part of a series of observations made during the lunar flyby, with live coverage available on NASA's official streaming platform starting at 1 p.m. EDT. Following the eclipse, Artemis II will return to Earth, concluding a mission that lays the groundwork for future lunar landings.
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