--- title: "The Solar Eclipse Looks Absolutely Wild From Space" description: "NASA footage from the International Space Station shows a massive, looming cloud of darkness engulfing huge swathes of the United States." date: "2024-04-08" modified: "2024-04-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/solar-eclipse-from-space" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "moon" - "NASA" - "Sun" - "the digest" --- # The Solar Eclipse Looks Absolutely Wild From Space ![NASA footage from the International Space Station shows a massive, looming cloud of darkness engulfing huge swathes of the United States.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Looming Shadow Today's stunning total solar eclipse has drawn millions of people outside to gaze at the sky and witness a truly extraordinary and exceedingly rare event. And while the views from the ground are expectedly breathtaking, the eclipse looks even more staggering from space. Video footage [shared by NASA]() shows a massive, looming cloud of darkness engulfing huge swathes of the United States as the Moon's shadow creeps across the continent. It's a good time to be an astronaut orbiting the Earth, as crew members get *two* exceptional views. Not only are they getting to view the Moon passing in front of the Sun, they also get to see the Moon's shadow as it moves across the continent. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1777420419311493356 ## Sunblocked Today's eclipse was exceedingly rare, largely because its path of totality spanned the homes of hundreds of millions of people. Videos shared on social media show cities including [Dallas](), [Indianapolis](), [Cleveland](), and [Niagara Falls]() being plunged into darkness, despite it being the mid-afternoon. https://twitter.com/KENS5/status/1777412260731711494 Astronauts on board the International Space Station already had an exceptional view during the August 2017 solar eclipse, showing up as a menacing cloud of darkness on the horizon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwNc5aK3dBk It's only a fleeting encounter as the space station circles the Earth every 90 minutes, which means its location has to line up with the path of totality to get a good view. Meanwhile, NASA had some fun with the event on social media. "Oops I did it again," the official NASA lunar science and exploration account [tweeted](), sharing a mocked-up screenshot of the "Sun and Space" account blocking it on the platform. **More on the eclipse:** *[NASA Launching Three Rockets Directly Into Eclipse]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()