Dr. Bernd von Kuhlmann, astrophysicist and flight director responsible for the Columbus module at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Oberpfaffenhofen explained that a solar eclipse is a rare event during which the Moon is located between the Sun and Earth thus generating a shadow on the Earth’s surface. „Viewed from the Earth the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon in specific regions. In contrast, the astronauts on the International Space Station are seeing a ghostly black spot on the surface.”
The eclipse was visible in Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and Antarctica but not in Europe. Prashant Shukla and Mishbahur Rehmann-Saad, both Columbus flight controllers and born in India were not too disappointed about not being able to witness the eclipse in India. „The images and video material that we received from the ISS were spectacular and our grandmothers don’t know that we were able to see this eclipse – which is taken as a bad omen in India and we were scolded for doing so when were young children.“