NASA Aircraft to Chase Total Solar Eclipse and Study the Sun’s Mysterious Corona

NASA will fly a WB-57 research aircraft at about 50,000 feet to observe Wednesday’s total solar eclipse from above clouds, haze and much of the atmospheric turbulence that can limit ground observations. The aircraft will follow the eclipse path from Iceland and use four high-resolution cameras to study the Sun’s corona, its faint outer atmosphere. Scientists hope the data will help explain why the corona is far hotter than the Sun’s surface and improve understanding of solar activity that can affect satellites and astronauts. NASA is also supporting eclipse coverage from Spain, while parts of the United Kingdom will see a partial eclipse. The mission gives researchers a rare opportunity to capture detailed images of the corona during totality.

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