NASA TO STUDY SUN'S CORONA DURING AUGUST 2026 ECLIPSE

A total solar eclipse will cross eastern Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain on 12 August 2026, presenting opportunities for both public observation and scientific research. NASA-funded science teams will deploy a high-altitude research aircraft and scientific balloons to investigate the sun's dynamics and atmospheric effects during the event. The temporary darkening of daytime skies will reveal the sun's corona, its outer atmosphere normally hidden by sunlight.

NASA's WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft will carry a suite of four cameras developed by the Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery (SCIFLI) team at NASA's Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia. The cameras will capture at least 20 images per second across visible and infrared wavelengths to record structures, outflows and rapid changes in the corona. By flying along the eclipse path at 460 miles per hour, the aircraft will extend observation time to nearly three minutes, compared to the maximum two minutes and 18 seconds visible from the ground. Scientists aim to improve understanding of solar prominence formation, the mechanisms heating the corona to nearly a million degrees, and the relationship between coronal material and solar wind.

Members of the public wishing to photograph the eclipse should prepare in advance, as successful eclipse photography requires understanding exposure changes and solar safety protocols. Across much of Europe, a deep partial eclipse will occur near sunset, with more than 90 per cent of the sun obscured in many locations. Viewers in northeastern North America will observe a smaller partial eclipse during the afternoon. Direct observation of any partial eclipse requires specialised solar equipment or eclipse glasses to prevent permanent eye damage.