Artemis 2 Astronaut Victor Glover Describes Total Solar Eclipse as 'Hole in the Universe'

On April 6, 2026, during NASA's Artemis 2 mission, four astronauts—Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, and Christina Koch—witnessed a total solar eclipse from the vicinity of the moon, approximately 70 minutes after rounding the far side. The eclipse lasted nearly 54 minutes, during which the crew captured photographs and made scientific observations. Glover described the sight as 'a hole in the universe' and noted the eerie, sci-fi quality of the experience. The eclipse was an extraordinary coincidence, as the mission had faced delays and launched on April 1, placing the spacecraft in the correct position. The astronauts used eclipse glasses and observed the sun's corona, earthshine, and craters on the moon's darkened surface. The event echoed Buzz Aldrin's description of a similar eclipse during Apollo 11 in 1969. Scientists Michael Kirk (NASA Goddard), Laura Hayes (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), and Kohji Tsumura (Tokyo City University) highlighted the scientific value of the observations. A recent study analyzed the mission's photos to map the F-corona, revealing that the dust cloud around the sun is more rounded than expected. The crew's experience was shared with the public, with Glover emphasizing the importance of wonder and awe in exploration. Future solar eclipses are scheduled for August 12, 2026, and 2027.