NASA aircraft to photograph solar eclipse off Iceland coast

A NASA research aircraft, a veteran Martin WB-57 Canberra, is set to fly near Iceland's coast to capture images of a solar eclipse. The plane will launch from Keflavík Air Base on Wednesday, aiming to be in the right place to photograph the moon's shadow as it races across the ocean at 3,200 kilometers per hour.

The mission's goal is to photograph solar phenomena called 'nanoflares.' These are only visible for the brief period when the moon completely obscures the sun, which for ground observers lasts about two minutes and 18 seconds. The WB-57, one of only three such aircraft remaining in the world and operated by NASA, will fly at 50,000 feet.

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There will be no clouds above, and then, as if by waving a hand, the shadow falls. The temperature drops rapidly, and you realize you need more lighting from the control panel while the strange shadow surrounds you.

By flying at approximately 740 kilometers per hour relative to the ground, the aircraft aims to extend the observation time to nearly three minutes. This extended window is crucial for capturing clear images of the elusive nanoflares. The flight path will take the aircraft north towards Greenland and then make a sweeping turn about 60 kilometers off the coast of Iceland.

Cary Klemm, who manages NASA's sensor equipment at the Johnson Space Center, described the experience of witnessing an eclipse from the cockpit. "There will be no clouds above, and then, as if by waving a hand, the shadow falls. The temperature drops rapidly, and you realize you need more lighting from the control panel while the strange shadow surrounds you," he told The Guardian. Lead researcher Dr. Amir Caspi expressed excitement, stating, "Solar eclipses allow us to conduct scientific research that we cannot do otherwise."

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Solar eclipses allow us to conduct scientific research that we cannot do otherwise.