Another eclipse season

SDO enters another eclipse season at 0200 UTC on September 15, 2010. The last day is October 7, 2010. The longest eclipse during this season is 67.4 minutes on September 26. Eclipses happen near the solstices when the Sun, Earth, and SDO orbit come into alignment. They are a normal part of life with a geosynchronous observatory. Because SDO is in an inclined orbit the eclipse season is not centered on the solstice. Solar data will not be available during an eclipse but will be available during the rest of the day.

Next up is a lunar transit on October 7.


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