Eclipse from space: See the moon's shadow race across North America at 1,500 mph in epic satellite footage

Eerie new satellite images show the moon's gigantic shadow racing across North America during the April 8 total solar eclipse. Photos captured by astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) also highlight the mind-boggling scale of this rare cosmic event.

On Monday (April 8), millions of people along or near the path of totality watched the moon temporarily block out our home star as its shadow swept across North America from Mexico to Canada. During this event, totality — the period where the sun is completely obscured — lasted up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, depending on the viewer’s location. 

Despite some adverse weather conditions and an uncharacteristically inactive sun, observers were able to capture stunning images of the eclipse from the ground. Some people were even lucky enough to catch glimpses of rare phenomena including slithers of sunlight known as "Baily's beads" and plasma eruptions from the sun, known as solar prominences. But from space, the event was arguably even more impressive.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 16th Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) took thousands of photos of the eclipse from its fixed position above North America. When these images were stitched together, they showed the moon's shadow sweeping across the continent, Spaceweather.com reported.

The resulting footage looks like something straight out of a sci-fi film.

"The Moon's shadow raced across North America faster than 1,500 mph [2,400 km/h], creating a mind-altering cone of darkness," Spaceweather.com wrote.

Related: When is the next total solar eclipse after 2024 in North America?