NASA’s WB-57 Will Chase the Solar Eclipse From 50,000 Feet

NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude aircraft will chase Wednesday’s total solar eclipse from 50,000 feet, giving researchers a clearer vantage point than many ground observers may have. The aircraft is scheduled to take off from Iceland and follow the moon’s shadow, helping extend the time its crew can view totality from the air.

The plane’s altitude is a key advantage: it can fly above cloud obstruction and nearly three miles higher than the average airliner. NASA has used the WB-57 for scientific research missions since the 1970s.

The WB-57 will carry four cameras in its nose cone to photograph the solar corona, the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere. Those cameras will capture 20 photos per second in different wavelengths, giving researchers high-resolution material to study after the eclipse.

The aircraft’s nose cone can be reconfigured for other missions, including tracking rocket launches and atmospheric re-entries. For this eclipse, its role is focused on collecting data from a rare, high-altitude view of totality.

The path of totality will pass through parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible from most major European cities. Parts of North America’s East Coast will also see a partial eclipse around 12:57 p.m. ET, including Portland, Maine; Boston; and New York.

For people outside the eclipse path, NASA will stream a live broadcast. The WB-57 can also be followed on aviation-tracking websites such as Flightradar24.

By flying at 460 miles per hour along the eclipse path, the WB-57 can stretch totality to almost 3 minutes in the air, compared with 2 minutes and 18 seconds on the ground, according to NASA. That extra viewing time matters because total solar eclipses create a rare opportunity to study the sun’s corona from Earth.

NASA operates three WB-57s at Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the planes have previously supported the 2024 total eclipse and the Artemis II human spaceflight mission. This eclipse will also draw other aircraft, including airline and private-jet flights arranged to follow the phenomenon.