Picture of the Day: A Partial Eclipse of the Sun (From a NASA Satellite)

On February 21, the Moon orbited into a position between the Sun and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, creating a view of a partial eclipse from the perspective of the satellite. NASA scientists use the eclipses, which happen several times a year, as an opportunity to recalibrate SDO's instruments, as the crisp edge of the lunar limb allows them to measure how light is diffracting around the telescope's structures.

Below, recent Pictures of the Day:

Image: NASA.