{"id":521345,"date":"2026-08-27T03:33:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1040616"},"modified":"2026-08-27T03:33:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:33:05","slug":"nasa-johnson-pilots-chase-moons-shadow-for-eclipse-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=521345","title":{"rendered":"NASA Johnson Pilots Chase Moon\u2019s Shadow for Eclipse Science\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 Min Read<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Johnson Pilots Chase Moon\u2019s Shadow for Eclipse Science\u00a0\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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NASA\u2019s 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\u2019s WB-57F. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Robert Markowitz<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse over Europe, scientists aimed to study a long-standing mystery: why the Sun\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

Pilots from NASA\u2019s 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\u2019s corona. <\/p>\n

A total solar eclipse\u00a0provides\u00a0a unique opportunity to examine the corona because the Moon temporarily blocks the Sun\u2019s bright surface, revealing its fainter outer atmosphere. Observations collected<\/a><\/strong> 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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John Gustine, NASA WB-57F pilot, prepares for flight at Ellington Field in Houston ahead of the aircraft\u2019s departure for Iceland to support the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Robert Markowitz<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2019s atmosphere. <\/p>\n

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\u2019s shadow moved across the North Atlantic.  <\/p>\n

\u201cGoing 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,\u201d said Tom Parent, NASA WB-57F pilot. \u201cWe rely heavily on our maintenance team to get the instruments serviced, prepared, loaded onto the aircraft, and flight tested. It\u2019s a huge team effort to get an aircraft like this up there to image and achieve these objectives.\u201d <\/p>\n

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NASA\u2019s WB-57F aircraft takes off from Ellington Field in Houston ahead of its mission supporting the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse from Iceland. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Robert Markowitz<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During totality, NASA WB-57F pilot John Gustine positioned the aircraft along the eclipse path to maximize time in the Moon\u2019s shadow and give scientists as much opportunity as possible to collect data. <\/p>\n

From the back seat, Cary Klemm, sensor equipment operator for NASA\u2019s WB-57F, controlled the camera systems, adjusting focus and exposure times while tracking features of interest throughout totality. <\/p>\n

With the cameras capturing observations throughout the brief window, every second mattered. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery image is another piece of data that could reveal something new about the Sun,\u201d Klemm said. <\/p>\n

What scientists can learn from those observations reaches far beyond the eclipse itself. The Sun\u2019s corona is made of plasma shaped by magnetic fields, and many of the same physical processes occur elsewhere in the universe. <\/p>\n

“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,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Amir Caspi, principal investigator for the study at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. \u201cWe could not have achieved this success without this platform, and\u00a0all of\u00a0the efforts of the many intrepid ground, air, and science crew members.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Members of NASA\u2019s WB-57F eclipse mission team gather at Ellington Field in Houston ahead of the aircraft\u2019s departure for Iceland. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Robert Markowitz<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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. <\/p>\n

View images and videos<\/a> from NASA\u2019s eclipse mission. <\/p>\n

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