NASA WB-57 Jets Chase Solar Eclipse

NASA is deploying two WB-57 jet planes to chase the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, across North America. This mission aims to utilize the extended viewing time and unique vantage point provided by high-altitude flight to gather detailed scientific data on the sun’s corona, coronal mass ejections, and the impact of solar radiation on Earth’s upper atmosphere. The jets, flying in formation and equipped with specialized instruments like spectrometers and high-resolution cameras, will enhance the observation time of totality beyond what is possible from the ground, thus offering a rare opportunity for advancing our understanding of solar phenomena.