Space2 min read
Space
NASA Aircraft Chased the Moon's Shadow at 50,000 Feet to Capture a Solar Eclipse
NASA flew a WB-57F research aircraft along the path of a total solar eclipse off the coast of Iceland, rising above clouds and haze to record the sun's corona with onboard cameras.
Step by step
- 1
Aircraft climbs to 50,000 feet
- 2
Flies the path of totality
- 3
Cameras record the sun's corona
- 4
Moon's shadow passes, sky brightens
On August 12, NASA's WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft flew off the coast of Iceland to chase the shadow of a total solar eclipse. Piloted along the precisely determined path of , the aircraft flew at 50,000 feet to maximize the time it spent inside the moon's shadow.
A suite of high-resolution cameras on board recorded eclipse data from above the clouds, dust and atmospheric water vapor that typically interfere with observations made from the ground. Footage from inside the cockpit captured the sun's , its faint outer atmosphere, emerging as totality began, with the sky darkened by the moon's shadow.
Venus was visible shining to the left of the eclipsed sun in the recorded video, while Jupiter and Mercury appeared just to its right. Beyond the reach of the moon's shadow, the sky remained bright along the distant horizon below the aircraft.
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#NASA#solar eclipse#WB-57F#astronomy
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