A total solar eclipse occurred lately in the Antarctic area, making it a difficult-to-spot phenomenon because it occurred only in the southern hemisphere of the earth and not on the continents. However, these eclipse photographs from NASA and ISS astronauts provide a unique perspective on eclipses from space, revealing the frightening beauty of darkness from the Sun.

ISS Astronauts Witness the Eclipse

Kayla Barron reported on Twitter that ISS Astronauts aboard Expedition 66 experienced the Antarctic solar eclipse and shared their images with the public. It displays a more detailed image of the shadow thrown over the South Pole during the eclipse.

Since the end of November, the astronauts have had challenges on the International Area Station (ISS). Recently, space has been filled with debris, preventing them from doing their "spacewalk" on the station. Different astronauts stationed on the International Space Station for a limited period are expected to conduct research and study on a variety of topics affecting people on the globe.

ALSO READ: December Night Sky 2021: How to Watch Christmas Comet Leonard, Geminid Meteors, Venus This Month

The goal of these astronauts is to uncover something that can only be influenced or produced in space due to the numerous circumstances that cannot be perceived or attained on Earth's surface. One example is making a cancer cure while staying in the ISS.

They are entitled to breaks, free and leisure time despite their busy schedule. Luckily, they saw a Solar Eclipse from space and witnessed how it unfolds on Earth before they resumed working in ISS. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, mainly because it's not sure that the space station will be in the right position at the right time for the eclipse as it revolves.

NASA Shares Lovely Photograph of Total Solar Eclipse from Antarctica

Eclipse Over Antarctica
(Photo : NASA)
This image of our home planet shows how Earth looked from more than 950,000 miles, or 1.5 million kilometers, away during the total solar eclipse visible in Antarctica on Dec. 4, 2021. The EPIC instrument on the DSCOVR spacecraft captured the eclipse's umbra, the dark, inner shadow of planet Earth. Shaped like a cone extending into space, it has a circular cross section most easily seen during an eclipse.

Meanwhile, NASA has released photographs of the total solar eclipse that occurred in the Antarctic area alone, displaying the world from the perspective of a remote spacecraft 1.5 million kilometers (950,000 miles) away from the planet. The space agency used the EPIC instrument on DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) satellite to observe the phenomenon. It has demonstrated how the Earth appears when it is obscured by the Moon's shadows.

The image depicts a dark or black-ish patch towards the planet's bottom, indicating that the South Pole's Antarctic region is obscured by the Moon's shadow as it covers the Sun.

The image is stunning, especially because it provides a distinct viewpoint on how the Earth appears when an eclipse is occurring, something that is invisible to anyone on the ground.

RELATED ARTICLE: Last and Only Total Solar Eclipse of 2021: Why It Happens Weeks Before, After Lunar Eclipse

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.