An image shared on Facebook purports to show the solar eclipse that occurred on April 8, 2024.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The original image was published on the stock image website Shutterstock in 2017, making it predate the 2024 solar eclipse.
Fact Check:
A solar eclipse took place on April 8, with totality occurring from Mazatlan, Mexico to Newfoundland, according to The Associated Press. The next eclipse is set for 2045, the outlet reported.
“Solar Eclipse from the Space station,” the Facebook image’s caption purports. The image shows the moon blocking the sun. Clouds are also visible beneath the two elements.
The image does not show the 2024 solar eclipse, however. The original image was published on the stock image website Shutterstock in 2017, making it predate the 2024 solar eclipse. (RELATED: Eclipse Image Is Photo Of Spain, Not Portugal’s View In 2024)
The image, uploaded to the website in January 2017, is described as a “solar eclipse” with “elements furnished by [the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA].” The image is credited to a contributor named “muratart,” but no other details about the image are available.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image referenced in any credible news reports about the April 8 solar eclipse. In fact, the opposite is true. Reuters also reported the image was originally published on Shutterstock in 2017 via an April 10 article.
Additionally, NASA has not shared the image on its website nor its verified social media accounts in reference to the recent eclipse.
Check Your Fact has contacted NASA for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
This is not the first time a false claim about the recent solar eclipse has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a social media post claiming NASA was purportedly planning to shoot three rockets at three moons on the day of the eclipse.
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