Satellites play a crucial role in observing the effects of solar eclipses, as they offer a unique vantage point from space, free from atmospheric interference and the limitations of ground-based observations. Satellites equipped with specialized instruments and cameras capture valuable data and images during solar eclipses, providing scientists with important information.
For example, satellites can observe the Moon’s shadow moving across the Earth as it rotates, tracing a path across the planet. The imagery below was captured on Dec. 14, 2020 by NOAA’s GOES-16 (GOES East) satellite.
The same satellite also captured another example of a total solar eclipse on Dec. 4, 2021 moving across Antarctica. You can see it moving in the imagery below.
