Hinode satellite captures X-ray footage of solar eclipse

The XRT collects X-rays emitted from the sun's corona - the hot, tenuous outer layer that extends from the sun's visible surface into the inner solar system. Gas in the solar corona reaches temperatures of millions of degrees. The energy source that heats the corona is a puzzle. The sun's surface is only 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the corona is more than 100 times hotter.

"We are very interested in studying solar flares," adds McCauley. "Flares are most dramatic in X-rays and we're using the X-ray Telescope to better understand the physical mechanisms that drive flares so that they might someday be forecasted."

On Oct. 23, while North America was witnessing a partial eclipse of the sun, the Hinode spacecraft observed a 'ring of fire' or annular eclipse from its location hundreds of miles above the North Pole. This 20-second time-lapse movie shows the eclipse, which actually lasted about 15 minutes. The path of the moon curves because the satellite's position is changing so rapidly as it orbits that parallax effect becomes apparent.

(Photo Credit: NASA/Hinode)

On Oct. 23, while North America was witnessing a partial eclipse of the sun, the Hinode spacecraft observed a "ring of fire" or annular eclipse from its location hundreds of miles above the North Pole. This image was taken by the X-ray Telescope.

(Photo Credit: NASA/Hinode)

Source: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics