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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

5 clusters · 22 sources · 36 days · First seen about 2 months ago · Last updated 18 days ago

August 2026 total solar eclipse observations

Overview

Scientific and amateur observers are preparing for a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. NASA plans to use a high-altitude WB-57 research aircraft to follow the Moon's shadow, allowing for nearly three minutes of totality to study the Sun's corona, solar wind, and heating via the SAMI high-speed camera system. Flying at approximately 740 km/h at an altitude of 15,000 meters, the aircraft will use four high-speed cameras to capture at least 20 images per second in visible and infrared wavelengths. Additionally, NASA will deploy balloon probes, including about 80 from Iceland and six equipped with 360° cameras from Spain, to monitor atmospheric effects. The eclipse path includes parts of northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and Portugal, while the United States will experience a partial eclipse. ESA and NASA are collaborating on combined observations from Earth and space to test experimental methods that are too costly or risky for satellites. This provides a unique opportunity to study the corona closer to the solar surface than current probes like Solar Orbiter or SOHO can achieve. In addition to the NASA mission, a research expedition utilizing flight IB1473 will observe the eclipse from an altitude of over 10,000 meters in the upper troposphere to minimize interference from water vapor and clouds. Astrophysicist and co-pilot Javier Meana, working under Commander Javier Lopera, stated that the team must maintain “extreme precision” to align with the limited duration of the eclipse, identifying the Palencia region as a key observation area. As the event approached, experts issued safety warnings regarding solar viewing, advising against the use of outdated eclipse glasses due to the risk of retinal damage from degraded filters.

Entities

NASA · Iceland · WB-57 · SAMI · Johnson Space Center

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The flight team must be in the correct location and time to maximize observation.
[● 3 SOURCES] Flight IB1473 will fly at an altitude of more than 10,000 meters to observe the solar eclipse.
[● 3 SOURCES] Researchers will use the flight to measure the morphology of the Sun during the total eclipse.
[● 3 SOURCES] The Palencia region has been chosen as a primary scenario for the observation.
[● 3 SOURCES] Flying in the upper troposphere aims to reduce interference from clouds and water vapor.

Timeline

18 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
NASA aircraft captures solar eclipse shadow from high altitude
NASA released an image from its WB-57F aircraft chasing the Moon's shadow at 15,240 meters to observe a total solar eclipse near Iceland.
about 1 month ago

[CULTURE] 5 sources
Researchers to observe solar eclipse from 10,000 meters altitude
Researchers and pilots will fly flight IB1473 at 10,000 meters to observe the solar corona and Sun's morphology during a total solar eclipse, aiming to minimize cloud interference.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
NASA deploys high-altitude aircraft to capture solar eclipse data
NASA is using a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft in Iceland to capture rare solar corona data and study nanoflares during a total solar eclipse, bypassing ground-level cloud cover.
about 2 months ago

[CULTURE] 2 sources
Eclipse chasers pursue total solar darkness worldwide
Eclipse chasers travel the world to witness total solar eclipses, a pursuit highlighted by historical feats like the Concorde 001's 74-minute supersonic observation of the sun's corona.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
NASA plans high‑speed aircraft chase of August 12 solar eclipse
NASA will fly a WB‑57 at 740 km/h to chase the August 12 total solar eclipse, extending corona observations to nearly three minutes, and launch balloons in Iceland and Spain for atmospheric studies.

Sources

elqueretano.info · es.gizmodo.com · icelandreview.com · lacronicadebadajoz.elperiodicoextremadura.com · ladiscussione.com · laopinioncoruna.es · memesita.com · merca2.es · nigeriastandardnewspaper.com · ocio.diariodemallorca.es · ocio.farodevigo.es · ocio.lne.es · sapo.pt · seb.wilzba.ch · shorediving.com · tempo.com · theguardian.co.uk · thesheffieldpress.com · tvbeurope.com · veyriersports.ch · viagemegastronomia.com.br · world-today-news.com

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history