The Hinode satellite, which is in low-Earth orbit, captured these beautiful images of Sunday’s annular or ring eclipse of the sun on Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Miss Sunday’s eclipse? Awesome eclipse photo gallery here.

Two minutes after the start of the partial eclipse of the Sun. (JAXA/Hinode)

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Hinode is in a low-Earth (about 400 miles, or 600 kilometers above Earth) sun-synchronous polar orbit that permits nearly continuous observations of the sun. Its orbit gave it essentially the same perspective as skywatchers on Earth, according to NASA.

Maximum eclipse. (JAXA/Hinode)

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The annular or ring eclipse of Sunday, May 20 was the last solar eclipse in the continental U.S. until 2017. There will be a lunar eclipse in just a couple of weeks, though, visible throughout the Americas. More: Lunar eclipse on the morning of June 4, 2012.

Hinode is jointly managed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council in the U.K.

Bottom line: The Hinode satellite captured beautiful images of Sunday’s annular or ring eclipse of the sun.

When is the next solar eclipse in the U.S.?

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.