Tomorrow, 29 March, there will be a total solar eclipse. The moon's shadow won't come anywhere near the United States, but some Americans will have a decent view. In fact, they'll be witnessing a dramatically different view.
According to SpaceWeather.com, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station would be in position to see a nearly total eclipse -- around 98% of the sun will be covered by the moon from their vantage point -- except for one thing: there isn't a window on the sunny side of the ISS.
What they will have, however, is a chance to view the moon's shadow as it glides across the surface of the earth. From 200+ miles up. SpaceWeather.com links to this photo, taken from the Mir space station during an eclipse in August of 1999.
I've seen a few partial solar eclipses; always from here on earth, naturally. After reading how Steven Jay Gould described eclipses, I promised myself I'd witness a total solar eclipse someday. Maybe from earth, maybe not.
