The airline will launch a special flight for the solar eclipse
On August 12, the Spanish airline Iberia will operate a special flight, allowing passengers to observe the total phase of the solar eclipse directly from aboard the plane. The route will be planned so that the aircraft passes through the path of totality.
People from all over the world will also be able to follow this unusual flight and celestial event—the event is scheduled to be broadcast on social media.
The plane will depart from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport at 6:45 p.m. Flight IB1473—whose number refers to the year of birth of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus—will fly over the province of Palencia before returning to the Spanish capital.
The plane will climb to an altitude of about 10,000 meters above sea level to minimize the impact of cloud cover and atmospheric disturbances. The route was designed to pass through the path of totality.
There will be more than just passengers on board.
The flight will also provide an opportunity for scientists to conduct research. In particular, researchers from the Shelios project, led by astronomer Miquel Serra-Ricart—scientific director of Light Bridges and a researcher at the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics—will take part in the expedition.
Scientists plan to take advantage of this rare opportunity to study the solar corona—the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, which is usually hidden by the Sun’s brightness.
But that’s not all. Using Starlink technology, Iberia will also broadcast the eclipse live on its social media channels directly from aboard the plane. Viewers are likely to see a much clearer image than when observing the phenomenon from the ground.
This is by no means the only flight scheduled specifically so that passengers can see the solar eclipse in all its glory. Brussels Airlines has also announced a special flight that will coincide with this astronomical event.
Total Solar Eclipse – Background
The total solar eclipse on August 12 is one of the major astronomical events of the year, during which the Moon’s shadow will pass over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Portugal. The total phase will last approximately 2 minutes.
This is the first total solar eclipse visible in continental Europe in the last 27 years.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is perfectly aligned between the Sun and Earth. The fact is that the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon, but at the same time, it is about 400 times farther from Earth. Therefore, during an eclipse, they appear to be almost the same size in the sky.
This is reported by Time Out.
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