Scientists once used a Concorde to hack the sky and turn a 7-minute solar eclipse into 74 minutes

A Concorde was once used to study a solar eclipse in a way no ground-based observer could match.

Normally, the longest a total eclipse can be seen from one point on Earth is just over seven minutes.

But in 1973, scientists extended that window more than tenfold by chasing the Moon’s shadow across Africa at supersonic speed.

For 74 extraordinary minutes, the Concorde turned a fleeting celestial event into an extended laboratory in the sky.

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Chasing the solar eclipse using raw speed

The experiment was organized to coincide with the June 30, 1973, total solar eclipse, which swept across much of Africa.

Researchers knew they had only minutes to gather valuable data on the Sun’s corona, which is the outer atmosphere, only visible only during a full eclipse.

By using Concorde, which could fly faster than twice the speed of sound (Mach 2), astronomers were able to effectively ‘follow’ the eclipse as the Moon’s shadow raced across the planet.

The aircraft’s cruising altitude of over 50,000 feet also placed it above much of the atmospheric distortion that hampers ground observations.

A team of French scientists, led by Pierre Léna, transformed the supersonic jet into a flying observatory.

They fitted special portholes and instruments into the cabin to capture unprecedented images and data.

The results provided unique insights into solar winds, the dynamics of the corona, and even hints about how the Sun’s energy affects the wider solar system.

For researchers who normally had just minutes to work, having over an hour was nothing short of revolutionary.

The Concorde was a marvel of engineering

The mission remains one of the most extraordinary examples of ingenuity in both aviation and astronomy.

Concorde itself was a marvel of engineering, capable of carrying passengers from Paris to New York in under four hours.

In fact, a former Concorde pilot once shared that flying the jet was like ‘a bus driver being given a Ferrari to go and play with.’

However, this scientific use highlighted its versatility in ways few people ever imagined.

The 1973 eclipse chase stands as a reminder of how technological innovation can expand our understanding of the universe.

Though the Concorde was retired in 2003, its role in extending the study of that solar eclipse has entered the history books.

These days, however, scientists have seemingly moved on to the next trick in the book: creating fake solar eclipses on demand using satellites.

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