NASA released footage of this year’s total solar eclipse from various locations, but it was a particular clip that garnered the most interest—it was not captured from any point on Earth.

On April 8, 2024, at 3:06 PM EDT, more than 50,000 individuals gathered at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, utilizing bikes, scooters, and simply standing, to witness a rare celestial spectacle: a total solar eclipse. For approximately four minutes, the moon obscured the sun from the cityscape, marking the first occurrence of this phenomenon in Indianapolis in 800 years. The next opportunity to witness such an event in the city won’t arise until 2044. NASA, catering to the interests of stargazers, eclipse chasers, and astronomy enthusiasts, provided a captivating live stream of the eclipse’s real-time progression, sharing short clips via a thread on X.

The initial clip showcased the total solar eclipse as seen from Mazatlán, Mexico, depicting a striking image of the sun’s silhouette surrounded by a glowing halo.

However, it was a subsequent clip that truly captured the attention, accumulating over 900k views in a brief period. This unique footage revealed the total solar eclipse from the International Space Station, displaying a shadow cast over the Earth’s surface, transforming a portion into darkness and forming a distinct black crater amidst the planet’s green-blue expanse.

On social media platforms, individuals expressed gratitude to NASA engineers for sharing these remarkable clips, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to don their eclipse glasses and witness the extraordinary event. One user, @ildiko_santana, remarked, ‘Thank you so much for the amazing coverage of this celestial event and the great interviews. Exhilarating and humbling all at once… What an exciting time to be on our planet!’ Another video circulating online showcased the breathtaking view of the solar eclipse from an airplane.

The 2024 total solar eclipse traversed American, Mexican, and Canadian territories, hailed as a rare occurrence due to its totality. According to NASA, the eclipse epitomized the precise alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth, with the moon positioned directly between the Earth and the sun, obstructing the sun’s light.

Beyond its visual splendor, the total eclipse provided scientists with an exceptional opportunity to study changes in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, particularly the ionosphere, which influences radio wave transmission crucial for communication and navigation. ‘Disturbances in this layer can cause issues with GPS and communications,’ noted Kelly Korreck, the eclipse program manager at NASA headquarters, as reported by Phys.org.

To ensure the safety of spectators, NASA emphasized the importance of taking precautionary measures. In a public announcement, they stated, ‘We want you to watch the total solar eclipse. We just don’t want it to be the last thing you see.’ NASA emphasized that direct viewing of the sun without specialized eye protection, such as eclipse glasses, could result in severe eye damage.

Additionally, they cautioned against viewing the sun through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes without appropriate solar filters, stressing the necessity of using safe solar viewing glasses or handheld solar viewers at all times. Regular sunglasses, regardless of their darkness, were deemed inadequate for viewing the solar eclipse.”