In an unexpected turn of events, on October 16 of this year, the Moon apparently photobombed NASA's very own Solar Dynamics Observatory's clear view of the Sun. This recent apparent crossing in space, although could be commonly known as a "photobomb" was actually called a lunar transit and it lasted for a whole 50 minutes all the way from 3:05 PM up to 3:53 PM ET.
Photobomb!!!! https://t.co/YxxU21hRQR — NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) October 19, 2020
Just how big was the "photobomb"
At its very peak, the Earth's moon was able to cover a stunning 44% of the entire Sun! During this given time, the Moon was also able to cover about two of the spacecraft's very own fine guidance sensors, which then caused its whole view of the Sun to slightly jitter.
The spacecraft is known as the SDO and it has already recovered its very own steady view just shortly after the whole lunar transit ended. Now, everything is back to normal and the Sun is clearly within their view as of the moment.
Currently, the Sun's own lower half actually displays two different active regions. These areas are known for its intense magnetic fields located on the Sun which are oftentimes associated with the known solar activity as well as eruptions, according to a report by NASA themselves.
NASA's missions aren't just expansion but also observation
According to another report by NASA, now that the whole Solar Cycle 25 is currently underway, scientists actually expect even more active regions to appear one by one in the upcoming months. The SDO was able to capture the given images with the use of an extreme ultraviolet light. This particular type of light is actually invisible to the human eye but was then colorized in gold.
NASA has definitely been moving hard with the recent addition of three new astronauts to the International Space Station. Currently, the space agency is working on a number of projects while also partnering up with private companies like SpaceX in order for them to accelerate the whole process for their different projects.
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NASA and SpaceX's mission to reach Mars
Aside from expansion like the recently announced solid plan for both NASA and SpaceX to reach the moon then later on Mars, NASA also deals with a lot of observational tasks. These missions include watching the Earth, the Moon, and even the Sun to both study and understand the data as well as keep the scientists aware should any potential threats come by.
Observation is one of NASA's top priorities aside from expansion and this is why the Solar Dynamics Observatory is closely monitoring the Sun which just so happened to be photobombed by the Moon during its filming.
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Written by Urian Buenconsejo
