Chasing a Solar Eclipse in Concorde

In 1973, the Concorde did something no passenger jet had ever attempted - it chased the Moon’s shadow across the Sahara Desert during a total solar eclipse. Flying at supersonic speeds, the aircraft had to meet the shadow at its very leading edge. Pinpoint accuracy was essential, because if they arrived even slightly off timing or position, the opportunity would be lost. By perfectly joining the front of the moving shadow, Concorde effectively extended totality far beyond what was visible from the ground. For over an hour, scientists onboard studied the Sun’s corona in near-total darkness, while the Moon’s shadow raced across Africa below.