NASA's SDO Observes a Lunar Transit 07-28

NASA's SDO Observes a Lunar Transit

By bl

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This animated gif shows the path of the moon across the Solar Dynamics Observatory's field of view for this lunar transit.

Image Credit: 

NASA/SDO team

On July 26, 2014, from 10:57 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. EDT, the moon crossed between NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and the sun, a phenomenon called a lunar transit. This happens approximately twice a year, causing a partial solar eclipse that can only be seen from SDO's point of view. Images of the eclipse show a crisp lunar horizon, because the moon has no atmosphere that would distort light.