NASA Build An Airplane That Flies In Outer Space

The WB-57 is a special NASA airplane built for scientific research, and it plays a major role in studying Outer Space. It flies at 50,000 feet above sea level, allowing it to easily glide above the thickest clouds and blurry water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere.

During a total solar eclipse, scientists use this unique jet to get a perfectly clear view of the Sun’s mysterious outer atmosphere, which is known as the corona. Normally, the corona is completely hidden from view because the Sun is so bright. But, the corona finally shows up as a glowing halo once the Moon blocks the body of the Sun during an eclipse.

To capture this event, four powerful cameras, hidden inside the nose of the WB-57 plane, take pictures using different kinds of visible and infrared light. These high tech cameras let experts carefully study plasma, which are twisting loops of superheated gas that leap away from the surface of the Sun.

Researchers also hope this special mission will help them solve a major scientific puzzle called the heating paradox. The corona is strangely millions of degrees hotter than the surface of the Sun, even though it is located much farther away from the center.

By flying at nearly 460 miles per hour to chase the Moon’s fast moving shadow, the WB-57 plane can stay inside the eclipse for almost three whole minutes. This gives the onboard scientists more time to collect data than anyone watching the event from down on the ground.

In conclusion, this high flying science flight gives experts a rare, perfect view of the solar system. This project will ultimately help us understand how the Sun affects .