On Oct. 25, the Hinode satellite used its X-ray Telescope to capture three passages of the Moon eclipsing the Sun. While Hinode was able to observe an annular eclipse from orbit, only a partial solar eclipse was visible from the ground in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Annular eclipses are nearly total with a bright ring of the Sun appearing around the outer edge of the Moon.
Hinode explores the magnetic fields of the Sun to improve understanding of what powers the solar atmosphere and drives solar eruptions. The Hinode mission is led by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, with participation from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the European Space Agency, the United Kingdom Space Agency, and NASA.
Credits: JAXA/NASA/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory