Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2026 September 5
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                          Chasing the Moon's Shadow
                            Image Credit: [3]NASA

   Explanation: [4]Chasing the shadow of a New Moon, NASA’s [5]WB-57F high
   altitude research aircraft took to the skies off the coast of Iceland
   on August 12 to observe a [6]total solar eclipse. At 50,000 feet the
   aircraft was piloted along the precisely determined path of totality to
   maximize its time in the Moon’s shadow. A suite of high-resolution
   cameras on board was able to [7]record eclipse data from above the
   clouds, dust, and atmospheric water vapor that interfere with
   observations made closer to the ground. This view from the cockpit,
   taken from an inflight video, captures the [8]solar corona emerging at
   the beginning of totality. The sky appears dark in the shadow of the
   Moon. Venus is shining left of center in the video frame, while Jupiter
   and Mercury are just visible to the right of the eclipsed Sun. But the
   sky is bright along the distant horizon below, beyond the reach of the
   Moon's shadow.

        APOD's main NASA site is [9]moving: From [10]apod.nasa.gov to
                          [11]science.nasa.gov/apod
                     Tomorrow's picture: enhancing Pluto
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      Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply.
            [27]NASA Web Privacy, [28]Accessibility, [29]Notices;
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2609/2026Eclipse_WB57GoPro_Totality_H264_Abridged.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-johnson-pilots-chase-moons-shadow-for-eclipse-science/
   5. https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/aircraft/WB-57_-_JSC
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/total-solar-eclipse-on-august-12-2026/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-shares-views-of-august-solar-eclipse-from-ground-air-space/
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod/apod-2026-august-14-total-solar-eclipse-from-greenland/
   9. https://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=45023
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/apod
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260904.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260905
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260906.html
  23. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  24. https://www.mtu.edu/physics
  25. https://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/