                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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

                          Chasing the Moon's Shadow
                             Image Credit: NASA

   Explanation: Chasing the shadow of a New Moon, NASA’s WB-57F high
   altitude research aircraft took to the skies off the coast of Iceland
   on August 12 to observe a 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 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 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.

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     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

