Skip to main content

NASA Earth pictures show extent of eclipse

  • Story Highlights
  • Event was longest of 21st century, lasting more than six minutes in places
  • People in parts of Pacific Ocean, China and India able to get full view
  • Millions watched the spectacle sweep across Asia
Decrease font Decrease font
Enlarge font Enlarge font

(CNN) -- NASA has released new pictures of the Earth showing the vast extent of Wednesday's spectacular solar eclipse.

The eclipse's impact can been seen in this second picture, taken an hour later, via the large black shadow.

A Japanese satellite took this image of the eclipse an hour before totality.

The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean, luring millions outside to watch the spectacle.

Day turned into night, temperatures turned cooler in cities and villages teemed with amateur stargazers.

The total eclipse started in India on Wednesday morning and moved eastward across Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, China and parts of the Pacific. Video Watch the 'exceptional' eclipse »

NASA said the two images, left, were taken from a Japanese satellite. Read about when the lights went out in Asia

The first showed the Earth at 8.30 a.m. local time in Taiwan and the second, an hour later, when the moon completely overlapped the sun (called totality) casting a huge shadow over the area.

advertisement

The longest period of totality occurred over the Pacific, where the total eclipse lasted more than six minutes, NASA said. Photo View the eclipse in pictures »

Total eclipses occur about twice a year as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun on the same plane as Earth's orbit.

  • E-mail
  • Save
  • Print