That's a Transit!

The long lunar transit SDO saw last night was quite a show. Here's a movie in AIA 171 Å from March 6, 2000 UTC, to March 7, 0400 UTC (March 6, 3:00-11:00 pm ET) showing the entire transit. The Moon touched the limb of the Sun at 2200 UTC and finally left the solar disk at 0207 UTC). During the transit the Sun moves in the frame as the spacecraft and telescopes cool and shiver in the lunar shadow.

Congratulations to the flight dynamics team for predicting a beautiful display of orbital mechanics.