NASA science teams to study Sun and atmosphere during Aug. 12 total solar eclipse

NASA will conduct scientific experiments during the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, using a high-altitude jet and balloons to study the Sun and Earth's atmosphere. The eclipse will be visible over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.

A NASA WB-57 jet will fly at 50,000 feet carrying a suite of four cameras that capture at least 20 images per second in visible and infrared light. The cameras, part of the SCIFLI Multispectral Airborne Imager (SAMI), will observe the Sun's corona for nearly three minutes, longer than the maximum two minutes and 18 seconds visible from the ground. Researchers hope to learn about prominences, coronal heating, and the relationship between the corona and solar wind.

Meanwhile, the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, led by Montana State University, will launch 80 balloons from Iceland starting 18 hours before the eclipse until eight hours after. Teams from U.S. universities will study how the eclipse affects Earth's boundary layer—the part of the atmosphere touching the ground. Previous balloon flights during eclipses in October 2023 and April 2024 showed the boundary layer collapsed under clear skies but not under cloudy skies. Scientists want to see if the same happens in Iceland, where August days are long and nights short, potentially reducing nighttime influences.

The jet experiment is funded by NASA's Heliophysics Low Cost Access to Space Program and builds on observations from the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse. Based on lessons learned, the team will adjust exposure times to avoid overexposing bright features and use new software to process data faster. The balloon project will provide data on how sudden darkness alters atmospheric conditions, which could improve understanding of Earth's energy balance.