The solar eclipse will occur in the U.S. on April 8, 2024. A former NASA astronaut is sharing his experience with seeing one in space, plus tips for safe viewing on land.
A rare atmospheric occurrence will happen on Monday, April 8: a solar eclipse.
Millions of Americans within the path of totality will be able to clearly see the moon and the sun overlap.
Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of this year’s solar eclipse to detail his experience in space — and what it was like to witness one while on a space flight.
Virts has traveled to space multiple times. He said he'd always wanted to be an astronaut and going to space was a dream come true.
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"All of my spaceflights were amazing. That was a dream that I had since I was a little kid — I wanted to be an astronaut," he recalled.
During his two spaceflights, Virts spent over 200 days in space piloting the Space Shuttle Endeavor on STS-130 and commanding the International Space Station during Expedition 42/43 from 2014 to 2015, according to Virts’ website.
Virts, however, was known as the picture taker while in space. He joked that those onboard said he might have taken the most pictures of anyone ever in space.
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"It’s amazing getting to be in space, not only looking at our planet, but also looking out to the galaxy and other planets — [that] was a really fun part of it," he said.
Virts witnessed a solar eclipse while in space in 2015 and said it was something he never thought he would be able to see.
"There was an eclipse over the North Atlantic, and you could look out and see this kind of black circular shadow moving across Earth," he recalled.
He added, "It’s a very different experience seeing it from Earth, but from space was pretty cool, too."
Virts, who is partnering with SONIC ahead of the April 8 solar eclipse, said he recommends that anyone trying to view the phenomenon come prepared with the right tools.
"Get yourself some good eclipse glasses that are safe," he said.
He continued, "You don’t want to stare at the sun with your eyes. You don’t want to stare at the sun even with normal eclipse glasses — so before the moon covers the sun, you can’t stare at it."
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Virts recommended heading to one of the 400 SONIC locations in the path of totality for a limited-edition blackout slush float and viewing glasses.
He also said to get as close to the middle of the totality path in order to get the best viewing, as that can make a big difference.
"It’s amazing to look at the sun while it’s blacked out by the moon, but take a few seconds and look down at the horizon," he noted.
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He added, "Notice what the wildlife is doing. The animals don’t know … so they’re kind of freaked out."
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As for how Virts is spending his potential four minutes of eclipse viewing this year, he said he’ll be in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas to get the best experience.
Guests who purchase a blackout slush float at SONIC will receive a free pair of eclipse viewing glasses while supplies last. The brand says the limited-edition dragon fruit-flavored slush is filled with "eclipse-like darkness" to celebrate the occasion.
The next solar eclipse viewing opportunity in the U.S. will be on August 23, 2044, according to NASA.
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