NASA pilots use a high-altitude research aircraft to position scientists under the Moon’s shadow during the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse over Europe, enabling observations of the Sun’s corona. The campaign targets a longstanding question about why the corona is much hotter than the visible solar surface.
According to NASA and Phys.org, getting the measurements depends on being in exactly the right location at exactly the right time. NASA specifies that pilots from the Johnson Space Center fly the WB-57F aircraft from Ellington Field in Houston to Iceland for the eclipse. Other reporting emphasizes the scientific objective and the need for precise timing and positioning, focusing less on operational details.
Overall, both outlets describe the same eclipse science effort: researchers pursue data during totality by using aircraft flight planning to place observing instruments along the path of the eclipse.
