NASA WB-57 chases total eclipse from Iceland to study solar nanoflares
A NASA research aircraft will fly at 50,000ft along a solar eclipse's path to capture high-altitude observations of the sun's magnetic explosions.
Conversation activity · last 24 hours peak 1/hr
Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 3 items across 2 sources · 7h ago. Quotes are verbatim.
NASA aviators will fly a WB-57 research aircraft from Iceland on Wednesday to intercept a total solar eclipse, extending observation time from 2 minutes 18 seconds to nearly 3 minutes by flying at 460mph along the eclipse's path. The mission aims to photograph solar prominences and nanoflares—magnetic explosions that help explain why the sun's corona is millions of degrees hotter than its surface—using four cameras recording dozens of pictures per second.
- NASA's WB-57 aircraft will extend eclipse observation time to nearly 3 minutes by flying along the eclipse's path at 460mph, compared to 2m18s on the ground.
- The mission aims to study solar nanoflares and prominences—phenomena that help explain why the sun's corona exceeds 1 million degrees while the surface is only 6,000°C.
- Four high-speed cameras will record dozens of pictures per second across different light wavelengths, generating terabytes of data impossible to collect from ground or space-based systems alone.
- European eclipse research efforts (Iberia Airbus and ESA's PROBA-3 mission) are overshadowed in UK media coverage by focus on NASA's mission.
How it unfolded
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Reaction Mastodon user critiques UK media eclipse coverage
Mark McCaughrean expresses frustration that UK media focuses only on NASA's mission while ignoring parallel European eclipse research, including an Iberia Airbus flight and ESA's PROBA-3 space mission.
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Report Guardian social post on eclipse mission
Ian Sample posts Guardian article to social media highlighting the mission to capture eclipse data from high altitude.
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Report Guardian publishes eclipse mission details
The Guardian reports on NASA's eclipse mission, including technical specifications, the aircraft's capabilities, and quotes from mission personnel about solar science objectives.
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Event NASA eclipse observation mission scheduled
Two NASA aviators are scheduled to depart from Keflavik airport in Iceland after lunch on Wednesday, flying a WB-57 aircraft at 50,000ft along the path of a total solar eclipse to extend observation time.
What people are saying verbatim
“The big difference is that in the cockpit of an aircraft at 50,000 feet, it's very bright in the sun. There are no clouds above you, and then all of a sudden, you're hit with this slam of shadow.”
Cary Klemm, Sensor equipment operator, NASA Johnson Space Center · The Guardian
“You feel the temperature drop off; you'll notice that you need more light from your instruments, and it's kind of a weird, eerie shadow that you're surrounded by. It wraps around the view in the cockpit.”
Cary Klemm, Sensor equipment operator, NASA Johnson Space Center · The Guardian
“I'm super-excited. Solar eclipses give us an opportunity to do science we couldn't do at any other time.”
Dr Amir Caspi, Principal investigator, Southwest Research Institute · The Guardian
“As you can imagine, this is terabytes of information.”
Dr Amir Caspi, Principal investigator, Southwest Research Institute · The Guardian
“A total eclipse will curve across Europe in a few days & UK media run a story about a *NASA* plane observing it. Just ignore the Iberia Airbus also scheduled to conduct a research flight & blank the ESA PROBA-3 space mission…”
markmccaughrean, Mastodon user · Mastodon