Former NASA astronaut Dr Sandra Magnus has described what it is like to witness a solar eclipse from space, ahead of a major partial eclipse set to cross the British Isles on Wednesday evening (August 12). The eclipse will obscure between 90% and 96% of the sun across the UK, marking the deepest such event since 1999.
Eclipse seen from orbit
Dr Magnus, who spent 157 days in space across three missions, including the final flight of the Space Shuttle program, observed the moon's shadow from the International Space Station between November 2008 and March 2009. She described the experience as giving "an extraordinary sense of scale."
"From the International Space Station, I could see the moon's shadow as this dark area moving across the surface of the Earth below us. You're watching the mechanics of the sun, moon and Earth play out on a planetary scale, and that really stays with you," she said.
Viewing from Earth
Dr Magnus is now preparing to view the eclipse from East Greenland, where the path of totality will pass. She noted the difference in perspective: "In space, I was looking down at the shadow. In East Greenland, I'll actually be standing within it."
Regarding safety, she stressed that approved eclipse glasses or filtered equipment are essential during partial phases, adding that only during totality can one look without protection, and glasses must go back on as soon as the sun reappears.
What to expect in the UK
While the UK will experience a partial eclipse, Dr Magnus expects to be inside the path of totality, where the sun will be completely obscured for about two minutes and 18 seconds. She anticipates seeing Baily's Beads and the diamond-ring effect before totality.
She advised: "Understand the mechanics beforehand, then put them in the back of your mind and experience the wonder of the moment."
