Image: NASA’s Terra satellite captured the shadow of the 2015 solar eclipse.
Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
On the morning of March 20, 2015, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of Europe, and a partial solar eclipse was visible in North Africa and northern Asia. NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the Arctic Ocean on March 20 at 10:45 a.m. UTC (6:45 a.m. EDT), capturing the shadow of the solar eclipse above the clouds over the Arctic Ocean.
Terra was launched 25 years ago on December 18, 1999. Roughly the size of a small school bus, the Terra satellite carries five instruments that make simultaneous measurements of the Earth system. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is a cloud and Earth measuring instrument. Radiant Energy System (CERES), Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), Tropospheric Pollution Measurement (MOPITT), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).
On November 28, 2024, one of Terra’s power transmission shunt units failed. The response team reviewed the situation on Terra and discussed potential impacts and options. As a result, the team placed ASTER in safe mode. Therefore, ASTER data is not currently collected. All other instruments continue without interruption.
Citation: Image: NASA’s Terra satellite captured the shadow of the 2015 solar eclipse (December 25, 2024), December 27, 2024, https://phys.org/news/2024-12-image Retrieved from -nasa-terra-satellite-captures.html
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