Here’s How Modified Concorde Chased The 1973 Solar Eclipse Across The Sky For Science

Total solar eclipses don’t happen every day, so when they do you’ve got to take advantage. That’s exactly what a group of scientists did from the inside of a Concorde back in June of 1973. These folks were able to spend 74 minutes in total darkness as they raced at Mach 2 against the sun.

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We’re now getting a chance to see what they saw and experience what they experienced through a YouTube video detailing what happened up in the air that day using 3D renderings. Neat stuff. As we know, total solar eclipses only last a few minutes over a given point, However, that time in darkness can be greatly extended if you “cheat,” according to YouTuber Primal Space.

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The mission could only really be done in a Concorde, after all, the shadow was traveling at over 2,200 kilometers per hour – something Concorde could just about do. It all started in 1972 when French astrophysicist Pierre Lena began preparing for the upcoming eclipse. He was mostly interested in observing the sun’s corona. To get as much time observing the eclipse as possible, he enlisted Concorde test pilot Andre Turcat to fly the mission.

But, this was no ordinary Concorde. Not only did they use Prototype 001, but the passenger area was completely gutted, and scientific equipment was put in its place. They also cut holes in the roof of Concorde’s fuselage and installed special observation windows.

As you may have imagined, this flight took a whole lot of planning. A course was detailed with pinpoint accuracy, and a timer was set so that Concorde could reach the path of totality at the exact right moment. If they were a little late or a little early, the whole mission would have fallen apart. They figured out a course that would be able to give them up to 80 minutes of completely straight flying in the shadow, even though the shadow was moving on a slight curve.

Okay, okay. I don’t want to spoil too much else about this video. You should really head over to Primal Space’s YouTube channel to see just how much went into racing Concorde against the sun.