NASA Wins Second Emmy Award for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Broadcast
NASA’s broadcast of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse won an Emmy Award for Excellence in Production Technology.
At the 76th Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards on December 4 in New York, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the win. Walt Lindblom and Sami Aziz accepted the award on behalf of the agency. For the show, Lindblom served as coordinating producer and Aziz as executive producer.
“By broadcasting the total solar eclipse, this team brought joy and wonder for our Sun, Moon and Earth to viewers across America and the world,” said Will Boyington, associate administrator for the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Congratulations to the production team, whose efforts demonstrate the hard work and dedication to sharing the wonder that makes our solar system something we strive to understand.”
NASA’s live coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse was the agency’s most complex live project ever. In total, NASA’s eclipse broadcasts have garnered nearly 40 million live and replay views across its own distribution channels, including on NASA+, the agency’s free streaming service. Externally, the agency’s main broadcast was picked up by 2,208 hits on 568 channels in 25 countries.
“Our unique place in the solar system allows us on Earth to witness one of the most spectacular scientific spectacles that nature has to offer. NASA’s production team captured the action every step of the way of totality, including the rare glimpse of the solar corona,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters. “Congratulations to the NASA team for successfully showing the 2024 total solar eclipse through NASA eyes, so the whole world can experience it together.”
The broadcast lasted three hours, showing the eclipse in seven U.S. states and two countries. From cities, parks and stadiums, 11 hosts and correspondents provided live commentary, interviews and live coverage. Viewers around the world followed it, including viewing parties at nine locations, from the Austin Public Library to Times Square in New York. An interactive “eclipse chart” allowed data to be analyzed in real time as the Moon’s shadow crossed North America.
Live images of astronauts aboard the International Space Station and NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft were brought in to provide rare and unique perspectives on the solar event. To make this possible, NASA deployed and activated 67 cameras, 6 NASA Wide Area Network control rooms, 38 encoders, and 35 decoders. The team coordinated 20 live telescope feeds that represented 12 locations in the path of totality.
NASA’s eclipse broadcast won another Emmy Award earlier this year at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards for Outstanding Live News Special. Additionally, the show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Show Open or Title Sequence – News. NASA’s eclipse communications and broadcast efforts also won two Webby Awards and two Webby People’s Voice Awards.
For more information about NASA, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
Interrante Abbey / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
301-201-0124 / 202-358-1600
abbey.a.interrante@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
