Photographer recalls capturing iconic solar eclipse image from 40,000 feet

Ragnar Axelsson, a photographer, vividly recalls capturing a rare and iconic image of a total solar eclipse in the autumn of 1986. The photograph was taken from an extraordinary vantage point: 40,000 feet above the ocean between Iceland and Greenland, the only location from which the eclipse could be perfectly viewed.

Axelsson, now 40 years later, remembers the flight and the photographic challenge. While everyone else on board, including himself, initially placed a filter over their lenses, a sudden intuition prompted him to remove it just moments before totality. This risky decision, against his initial calculations, proved successful, making him the sole individual to obtain a usable photograph of the celestial event.

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We were above the clouds and as if by magic, it was like a curtain was drawn across the cloud cover. I felt like I was in the presence of the Almighty. It was an incredible experience that one never forgets. Overwhelmingly beautiful.

He described the experience as unforgettable, likening the moment the "curtain" was drawn across the sky to being in the "presence of the Almighty." The overwhelming beauty and the sight of the moon's craters, which aligned with astronomer Þorsteinn Sæmundsson's precise calculations, left a lasting impression. Sæmundsson's calculations, which were more accurate than international estimates, were crucial for pinpointing the eclipse's path.

Axelsson's photograph, published on the back page of Morgunblaðið the following day, was considered a significant achievement. Reflecting on that profound experience, he now understands the anticipation surrounding upcoming celestial events, though he humorously notes the potential for rain.

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It was a great relief to me that my calculations held up, a 5-kilometer deviation one way or the other and we would not have seen such a beautiful solar eclipse.