Jump to content
  • Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

[NASA] NASA Johnson Pilots Chase Moon’s Shadow for Eclipse Science 

SpaceMan

By SpaceMan,
in World News

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Diamond Member
SpaceMan Hunter

SpaceMan 0

Posted
  • Diamond Member
Posted
3 Min Read

NASA Johnson Pilots Chase Moon’s Shadow for Eclipse Science 

This is the hidden content, please
This is the hidden content, please
NASA’s WB-57F aircraft prepares for takeoff from Ellington Field in Houston ahead of its mission to observe the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse from Iceland. From left are John Gustine, NASA WB-57F pilot, and Cary Klemm, sensor equipment operator for NASA’s WB-57F.
NASA/Robert Markowitz

During the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse over Europe, scientists aimed to study a long-standing mystery: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, is far hotter than its visible surface. Capturing the data they needed meant being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. 

Pilots from NASA’s Johnson Space Center flew the WB-57F high altitude research aircraft from Ellington Field in Houston to Iceland, their base for flying through the path of totality to give scientists a clearer view of the Sun’s corona. 

A total solar eclipse provides a unique opportunity to examine the corona because the Moon temporarily blocks the Sun’s bright surface, revealing its fainter outer atmosphere.

This is the hidden content, please
during this brief window can help scientists better understand how energy and material move through the corona and away from the Sun, improving our understanding of space weather. 

This is the hidden content, please
John Gustine, NASA WB-57F pilot, prepares for flight at Ellington Field in Houston ahead of the aircraft’s departure for Iceland to support the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse.
NASA/Robert Markowitz

At about 50,000 feet, the WB-57F flew above most clouds, dust, and water vapor that can interfere with observations from the ground. The altitude reduced atmospheric interference while also allowing the science instruments to observe infrared wavelengths that are largely absorbed lower in Earth’s atmosphere. 

Capturing those observations required careful coordination between scientists and the flight crew. Before the mission, teams calculated where the aircraft needed to be as the Moon’s shadow moved across the North Atlantic.  

“Going into a mission like this takes a huge team. It starts with the science team establishing the requirements, and then we work closely with them for months leading up to the mission,” said Tom Parent, NASA WB-57F pilot. “We rely heavily on our maintenance team to get the instruments serviced, prepared, loaded onto the aircraft, and flight tested. It’s a huge team effort to get an aircraft like this up there to image and achieve these objectives.” 

This is the hidden content, please
NASA’s WB-57F aircraft takes off from Ellington Field in Houston ahead of its mission supporting the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse from Iceland.
NASA/Robert Markowitz

During totality, NASA WB-57F pilot John Gustine positioned the aircraft along the eclipse path to maximize time in the Moon’s shadow and give scientists as much opportunity as possible to collect data. 

From the back seat, Cary Klemm, sensor equipment operator for NASA’s WB-57F, controlled the camera systems, adjusting focus and exposure times while tracking features of interest throughout totality. 

With the cameras capturing observations throughout the brief window, every second mattered. 

“Every image is another piece of data that could reveal something new about the Sun,” Klemm said. 

What scientists can learn from those observations reaches far beyond the eclipse itself. The Sun’s corona is made of plasma shaped by magnetic fields, and many of the same physical processes occur elsewhere in the universe. 

“The NASA WB-57F’s unique capabilities of high-altitude flight were truly crucial in providing access to these valuable wavelengths during an eclipse whose path crossed mostly over the ocean in an area where clouds are common,” said Amir Caspi, principal investigator for the study at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. “We could not have achieved this success without this platform, and all of the efforts of the many intrepid ground, air, and science crew members.”

This is the hidden content, please
Members of NASA’s WB-57F eclipse mission team gather at Ellington Field in Houston ahead of the aircraft’s departure for Iceland.
NASA/Robert Markowitz

The data gathered during the flight will give scientists another opportunity to investigate the Sun and the processes that influence the space environment around Earth. 

This is the hidden content, please
 from NASA’s eclipse mission. 

About the Author

This is the hidden content, please

Sumer Loggins

Share

Details

Last Updated
Aug 26, 2026

Related Terms

Explore More

This is the hidden content, please
This is the hidden content, please

This is the hidden content, please

This is the hidden content, please
This is the hidden content, please

This is the hidden content, please

This is the hidden content, please

0

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Vote for the server

    To vote for this server you must login.

    Jim Carrey Flirting GIF

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Important Information

Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.

  I accept