Eclipse Watch from SOHO
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As the final countdown to the April 8 total solar eclipse approaches, use the Helioviewer Eclipse Watch tool to observe eclipse-like images that are captured over 100 times each day by the LASCO C2 coronagraph on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint NASA-ESA mission stationed one million miles from Earth.
The LASCO instrument creates artificial eclipses by using a disc to obscure the brightest light from the Sun. This enables the instrument to observe the Sun’s corona and identify coronal mass ejections that erupt from the Sun. These images offer a glimpse of what viewers within the path of totality April 8 could see during the historic celestial event.
Refresh the Eclipse Watch tool to view the latest image. A picture of the moon is overlaid on the image for context.
The countdown clock shows when the eclipse will begin its 90-minute journey in the Pacific Ocean April 8th, before passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. Remember to use specialized eye protection for solar viewing except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun.