Terry Virts peered down from the Worldwide Area Station in March 2015. The NASA astronaut noticed a large, uncommon shadow solid upon Earth.

“It was this huge, darkish factor that wasn’t pure,” Virts, a retired astronaut and former Worldwide Area Station commander, informed Mashable.

He watched a shadow created by the cosmic dance of the moon, Earth, and solar — particularly the moon touring between our planet and the solar. It was a whole photo voltaic eclipse, an occasion that is technically pure, although a spectacle so uncommon and eerie that it actually would not really feel so — both on Earth or in house.

Searching of house station home windows, Virts took within the nice shadow with one other astronaut. It traversed the north Atlantic Ocean. Fortuitously, astronomers can predict eclipses — based mostly on the mechanics and gravities of the solar, moon, and Earth — tons of of years into the long run, so these occasions aren’t a shock. If that’s the case, that may have made for some actually unsettling observations from house.

“You would be like, ‘What is occurring on Earth?’” Virts stated.

Here is what the eclipse shadow appears to be like like from some 250 miles up within the house station. It is a uncommon sight for a small group of individuals: There are sometimes round seven astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the orbiting habitat directly.

The 2017 whole photo voltaic eclipse as seen from the house station.
Credit score: NASA

The moon casting a shadow throughout southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea in March 2006.
Credit score: NASA

For Earthlings within the middle of that shadow, or what’s referred to as the “path of totality,” the occasion is putting. “In my expertise you’ll be able to’t overhype it,” Richard Fienberg, an astronomer and senior advisor on the American Astronomical Society, informed Mashable earlier this 12 months. The moon, by briefly blocking the solar’s blinding floor for some three to over 4 minutes (relying the place you might be), reveals our star’s ghostly environment, or corona. Within the moon’s shadow, the temperature drops, and lightweight fades to deep twilight. Animals begin appearing unusual.

“It was this huge, darkish factor that wasn’t pure.”

On April 8, 2024, the trail of totality is about 115 miles broad. Virts emphasizes that you just should be on this path to expertise a whole photo voltaic eclipse. Outdoors that path, you will witness a partial eclipse. A partial eclipse is attention-grabbing, however merely pales in comparison with totality.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, a partial eclipse is a seven,” stated Virts, who skilled his first whole eclipse from Earth in 2017. “And a complete eclipse is 1,000,000.”

Terry Virts on a spacewalk in 2015.
Credit score: NASA

Following his days as commander of the house station, Virts continues his ardour for house as an aerospace advisor, creator, podcast host, and past. To advertise the looming whole photo voltaic eclipse, the ex-astronaut has partnered with Sonic Drive-In — sure, the burger cease — a spot he says has some 400 places within the path of totality. (This eclipse passes over some main metropolitan areas, together with Indianapolis, Dayton, Dallas, and Cleveland.) If you happen to nonetheless want protected eclipse-viewing glasses, Virts stated you may get a free pair with Sonic’s Blackout Slush Float.

“Whether it is doable, make an effort and go see this factor,” the previous astronaut stated. In spite of everything, the U.S. will not see one other whole photo voltaic eclipse till 2044.

“Whether it is doable, make an effort and go see this factor.”

(Importantly, the one time you’ll be able to have a look at the solar with out accredited eclipse viewers is throughout a couple of minutes or so of totality; all different occasions you could put on eye safety.)

From the house station, the view of the moon’s shadow was “unnatural,” Virts underscored, however there have been no clear, accessible views of the particular eclipsed solar. But weather-permitting, you and hundreds of thousands of others could have the uncommon likelihood to witness a view of our blackened star on April 8. It is not only a view — the whole photo voltaic eclipse is an expertise. You may even get to see some radiant planets.

“It blew me away,” stated Virts. “It is an incredible, superb expertise.”