March 29, 2006—Thousands of people flocked to sites between North Africa and central Asia in search of the best place on Earth to see today's total eclipse of the sun. But the coolest view might not have been on Earth at all.

Members of the Expedition 12 crew aboard the International Space Station were treated to this one-of-a-kind sight early this morning: a view of the moon's shadow passing across the Earth.

The island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea (see map) appears in the top center of the photo, flanked on the left by the coast of Turkey.

Down on Earth, people in the center of the shadow, or umbra, experienced deep, nightlike darkness, while those in the shadow's lighter portion, or penumbra, witnessed a partial eclipse.

Space station crew members took the picture at 4:30 a.m. EST while orbiting 230 miles (370 kilometers) above the Earth.

—Blake de Pastino

• See More Photos in the News
• See Today's Top News Stories
• Get Our Free Photo Newsletter