NEW DELHI: Nasa on Monday playfully poked fun at itself during the total solar eclipse visible in North America. The Nasa ‘Moon’ account, dedicated to lunar science and exploration updates, posted a meme featuring the X profile of its counterpart, Nasa Sun and Space.
“Oops, I did it again,” quipped Nasa Moon on X, sharing the meme alongside a closed-mouth smiling emoji.
Monday witnessed a rare and eagerly awaited solar eclipse that unfolded across North America. A total eclipse, where the moon completely obscured the sun, graced 15 states, while all continental states were treated to a partial eclipse.
Nasa closely followed the event, and the “Nasa Moon” X account celebrated it in a distinctive and light-hearted manner.
The account humorously exclaimed, “Oops I did it again. #TotalSolarEclipse,” revealing its playful action of “blocking” the “Nasa Sun & Space” account during the eclipse.
The post swiftly accumulated over three million impressions within hours, with numerous users praising the humor. “This is the type of quality content you only get on X!” remarked Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok.
University of Florida marketing instructor Brianne Fleming commented, “We love fun social, but we love a Britney reference more.”
The previous occurrence of a total eclipse visible in the US was on August 21, 2017.
The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan stood as the initial major view point location in North America. The partial eclipse started in southern Texas near Eagle Pass on the southern border with Mexico, signifying the beginning of the eclipse in the United States.
The total solar eclipse of 2024 marked a historic celestial event, as it won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044. Additionally, an annular eclipse, which occurs when the moon can’t completely block the sun, won’t be visible across this part of the world again until 2046.
As per earlier reports by CNN, Mexico’s Pacific coast served as the initial point of totality on the path, anticipated at 11:07 am local time (2:07 pm ET). The eclipse was projected to conclude on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 pm local time (3:46 pm ET).
Highlighting safety during the total solar eclipse, Nasa shared a post on X, emphasising, “We want you to watch the total solar #eclipse. We just don’t want it to be the last thing you see.” Nasa reiterated that it is unsafe to directly observe the Sun without proper eye protection designed for solar viewing.
“It’s only safe to observe the Sun directly without specialized eye protection during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face,” it said.
One of the remarkable side-effects of the eclipse is its capacity to alter the weather, although it does have its limitations. During a solar eclipse, changes in temperature, wind speed, and humidity occur as the moon moves across the Sun and casts its shadow on Earth’s surface, as CNN reported.
Furthermore, it warned that looking at any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics can lead to severe eye injury instantaneously.
Hours before the eclipse, Nasa’s various accounts engaged in playful banter, teasing each other. The “NASA Solar System” X account posted a poll, asking followers to vote on whose “big day” it was.
“Oops, I did it again,” quipped Nasa Moon on X, sharing the meme alongside a closed-mouth smiling emoji.
Monday witnessed a rare and eagerly awaited solar eclipse that unfolded across North America. A total eclipse, where the moon completely obscured the sun, graced 15 states, while all continental states were treated to a partial eclipse.
Nasa closely followed the event, and the “Nasa Moon” X account celebrated it in a distinctive and light-hearted manner.
The account humorously exclaimed, “Oops I did it again. #TotalSolarEclipse,” revealing its playful action of “blocking” the “Nasa Sun & Space” account during the eclipse.
The post swiftly accumulated over three million impressions within hours, with numerous users praising the humor. “This is the type of quality content you only get on X!” remarked Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok.
University of Florida marketing instructor Brianne Fleming commented, “We love fun social, but we love a Britney reference more.”
The previous occurrence of a total eclipse visible in the US was on August 21, 2017.
The Mexican beachside resort town of Mazatlan stood as the initial major view point location in North America. The partial eclipse started in southern Texas near Eagle Pass on the southern border with Mexico, signifying the beginning of the eclipse in the United States.
The total solar eclipse of 2024 marked a historic celestial event, as it won’t be visible across the contiguous US again until August 2044. Additionally, an annular eclipse, which occurs when the moon can’t completely block the sun, won’t be visible across this part of the world again until 2046.
As per earlier reports by CNN, Mexico’s Pacific coast served as the initial point of totality on the path, anticipated at 11:07 am local time (2:07 pm ET). The eclipse was projected to conclude on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 pm local time (3:46 pm ET).
Highlighting safety during the total solar eclipse, Nasa shared a post on X, emphasising, “We want you to watch the total solar #eclipse. We just don’t want it to be the last thing you see.” Nasa reiterated that it is unsafe to directly observe the Sun without proper eye protection designed for solar viewing.
“It’s only safe to observe the Sun directly without specialized eye protection during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face,” it said.
One of the remarkable side-effects of the eclipse is its capacity to alter the weather, although it does have its limitations. During a solar eclipse, changes in temperature, wind speed, and humidity occur as the moon moves across the Sun and casts its shadow on Earth’s surface, as CNN reported.
Furthermore, it warned that looking at any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics can lead to severe eye injury instantaneously.
Hours before the eclipse, Nasa’s various accounts engaged in playful banter, teasing each other. The “NASA Solar System” X account posted a poll, asking followers to vote on whose “big day” it was.
