Blog post for Artemis 2 Eclipse Photo by Cadair · Pull Request #489 · sunpy/sunpy.org

Cadair · 2026-04-09T11:37:59Z

https://sunpyorg--489.org.readthedocs.build/posts/2026/artemis_2_eclipse/

samaloney · 2026-04-16T08:03:37Z

+
+# Artemis II Solar Eclipse
+
+The Artemis II mission launched on the 1st April 2026, this launch date (or the window on the 2nd) allowed the crew to observe a solar eclipse on the 6th April after transiting the far side of the moon.


Do we want to say something around how this hasn't been possible since Apollo X, nearly Y years ago? I know it obvious to us but worth pointing out

What exactly?, I'm not sure any of the Apollo missions had a view like this. They would have had the Sun go behind the moon but they would have been a lot closer to the moon.

hayesla

This is so good. My comments are just small, and text edits. We just now need to wait for Shanes PR to be merged and then we can add the link and publish 🚀

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:40:06Z

+
+# Artemis II Solar Eclipse
+
+The Artemis II mission launched on the 1st April 2026; this launch date allowed the crew to observe a solar eclipse on the 6th April(EDT) / 7th April (UTC) after transiting the far side of the moon.


Suggested change

The Artemis II mission launched on the 1st April 2026; this launch date allowed the crew to observe a solar eclipse on the 6th April(EDT) / 7th April (UTC) after transiting the far side of the moon.

The Artemis II mission launched on the 1st April 2026; this launch date allowed the crew to observe a solar eclipse on the 6th April (EDT) / 7th April (UTC) after transiting the far side of the Moon.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:47:27Z

+
+### Calculating Image Scale
+
+Based on the determined center of the moon is and its radius in the image we can construct a coordinate system for the image.


Suggested change

Based on the determined center of the moon is and its radius in the image we can construct a coordinate system for the image.

Based on the determined center of the Moon and its radius in the image we can construct a coordinate system for the image.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:48:35Z

+  :width: 100%
+  :alt: Coordinate system fit with additional correction for lens distortion, the expected positions of the planets now match the image.
+
+Coordinate system fit to with additional correction for lens distortion.


Suggested change

Coordinate system fit to with additional correction for lens distortion.

Coordinate system fit with additional correction for lens distortion.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:49:24Z

+
+We hope you have found this post interesting.
+The full code for this post can be found in {ref}`The sunpy Gallery <>`.
+Remember, that if you are lucky enough to observe the total solar eclipse which will be visible from parts of Europe in August 2026 and you take a photo, you can try this type of analysis with your own photos, by following our {ref}`previous blog post <2024-04-03-eclipse>`!


Suggested change

Remember, that if you are lucky enough to observe the total solar eclipse which will be visible from parts of Europe in August 2026 and you take a photo, you can try this type of analysis with your own photos, by following our {ref}`previous blog post <2024-04-03-eclipse>`!

Remember, that if you are lucky enough to observe the total solar eclipse which will be visible from parts of Europe on 12th August 2026 and you take a photo, you can try this type of analysis with your own photos, by following our {ref}`previous blog post <2024-04-03-eclipse>`!

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:50:10Z

+### Fitting Lens Distortion
+
+The final correction to apply to our fitted coordinate system is the distortion of the camera lens (a Nikkor AF 135mm f/2D DC).
+This makes objects distant from the centre of the image appear even more distant than they should.


Suggested change

This makes objects distant from the centre of the image appear even more distant than they should.

This makes objects distant from the center of the image appear even more distant than they should.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T18:59:43Z

+
+### Fitting Roll Angle
+
+It's clear from the previous image that the image is rotated around the center of the moon.


Suggested change

It's clear from the previous image that the image is rotated around the center of the moon.

It's clear from the previous image that the image is rotated around the center of the Moon.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T19:00:38Z

+  :width: 100%
+  :alt: The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the moon.
+
+The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the moon.


Suggested change

The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the moon.

The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the Moon.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T19:10:48Z

+
+The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the moon.
+```
+


maybe a bit cheesy - but i think we need a sentence or two to finish?

Suggested change

This is where sunpy shines: using our powerful coordinate framework the astronauts' eclipse photo and LASCO's coronagraph images become a view of the same Sun from two very different vantage points, stitched together.

Yeah, I agree we need something. It's a shame there's nothing fun to point out in the structure etc.

hayesla · 2026-04-16T19:15:25Z

+```
+
+We can also use the positions returned by JPL Horizons and the coordinates packages in sunpy and astropy to visualize what part of the Artemis II trajectory was in eclipse.
+To see the details of how this was done see [this example in the SunPy gallery](https://sunpy--8574.org.readthedocs.build/en/8574/generated/gallery/showcase/artemis-ii-trajectory.html).


Suggested change

To see the details of how this was done see [this example in the SunPy gallery](https://sunpy--8574.org.readthedocs.build/en/8574/generated/gallery/showcase/artemis-ii-trajectory.html).

To see the details of how this was done see [this example in the SunPy gallery](https://docs.sunpy.org/en/latest/generated/gallery/showcase/artemis-ii-trajectory.html).

hayesla · 2026-04-16T19:15:39Z

+
+1. Extract the time information from the metadata stored in the image.
+1. Use the time information to lookup the exact position of Artemis II.
+1. Fit the edge of the moon to identify the location of the center of the moon, and the size of the moon in the image.


Suggested change

1. Fit the edge of the moon to identify the location of the center of the moon, and the size of the moon in the image.

1. Fit the edge of the moon to identify the location of the center of the Moon, and the size of the Moon in the image.

Cadair marked this pull request as draft April 9, 2026 11:38

Initial stub of a blog post

832fd55

Cadair force-pushed the artemis2_blog branch from 7d228a8 to 832fd55 Compare April 15, 2026 09:49

Cadair added 5 commits April 15, 2026 17:04

More blog post updates

025c591

lint

24bee51

More blog

eb1b36f

remove numpy pin

bd15a59

English innit

a9d8a4b

samaloney reviewed Apr 16, 2026

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Comment thread posts/2026/artemis_2_eclipse.md Outdated

Cadair changed the title ~~Initial stub of a blog post for Artemis 2~~ Blog post for Artemis 2 Eclipse Photoi Apr 16, 2026

Cadair changed the title ~~Blog post for Artemis 2 Eclipse Photoi~~ Blog post for Artemis 2 Eclipse Photo Apr 16, 2026

Cadair added 3 commits April 16, 2026 16:35

More fixes

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Figure tweaks

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more words

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hayesla approved these changes Apr 16, 2026

View reviewed changes


		# Artemis II Solar Eclipse

		The Artemis II mission launched on the 1st April 2026, this launch date (or the window on the 2nd) allowed the crew to observe a solar eclipse on the 6th April after transiting the far side of the moon.


		### Calculating Image Scale

		Based on the determined center of the moon is and its radius in the image we can construct a coordinate system for the image.

	Coordinate system fit to with additional correction for lens distortion.
	Coordinate system fit with additional correction for lens distortion.

	Remember, that if you are lucky enough to observe the total solar eclipse which will be visible from parts of Europe in August 2026 and you take a photo, you can try this type of analysis with your own photos, by following our {ref}`previous blog post <2024-04-03-eclipse>`!
	Remember, that if you are lucky enough to observe the total solar eclipse which will be visible from parts of Europe on 12th August 2026 and you take a photo, you can try this type of analysis with your own photos, by following our {ref}`previous blog post <2024-04-03-eclipse>`!

	This makes objects distant from the centre of the image appear even more distant than they should.
	This makes objects distant from the center of the image appear even more distant than they should.


		### Fitting Roll Angle

		It's clear from the previous image that the image is rotated around the center of the moon.

	The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the moon.
	The Artemis II solar eclipse photo with the positions of Mercury, Mars and Saturn highlighted, and coronagraph images from SOHO's LASCO instrument plotted over the disc of the Moon.


	This is where sunpy shines: using our powerful coordinate framework the astronauts' eclipse photo and LASCO's coronagraph images become a view of the same Sun from two very different vantage points, stitched together.

	To see the details of how this was done see [this example in the SunPy gallery](https://sunpy--8574.org.readthedocs.build/en/8574/generated/gallery/showcase/artemis-ii-trajectory.html).
	To see the details of how this was done see [this example in the SunPy gallery](https://docs.sunpy.org/en/latest/generated/gallery/showcase/artemis-ii-trajectory.html).

	1. Fit the edge of the moon to identify the location of the center of the moon, and the size of the moon in the image.
	1. Fit the edge of the moon to identify the location of the center of the Moon, and the size of the Moon in the image.

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Cadair commented Apr 9, 2026 •

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