Two flights departing from San Diego's airport on Monday offered arguably one of the best views of the total solar eclipse this year, drawing eclipse-chasers from across the country.
Alaska Airlines Flight 390 from San Diego to Boston and Flight 322 from San Diego to Washington Dulles offered the airline's best views of celestial phenomena. Guests were provided with special eclipse viewing glasses, food, and a specially designed aircraft suitable for viewing the eclipse from 30,000 feet, according to the airline.
Physicist Ross Anderson flew from Washington just to catch one such flight. He previously experienced a total solar eclipse once in 2017 and said he had been waiting seven years to relive that moment.
“We planned it just for the eclipse. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Anderson said. “I just like to have fun and do weird things.”
Anderson said he plans to soak up the moment during the flight, perhaps enjoying an adult beverage and a little math. But when the moment comes to see the path from above, his eyes are glued to the window – of course he wears glasses to take in his experience.
A total solar eclipse was reached in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Other airlines, including Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, offered similar experiences on flights to and from other parts of the United States. During a solar eclipse, the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun, blocking sunlight.It will take several hours for the moon's shadow to cross the United States
San Diegans experienced a partial solar eclipse in which about 55% of the sun was obscured by the moon.
Total solar eclipses occur once every one, two, or three years in remote locations such as the South Pacific or Antarctica. The next total solar eclipse will grace the northern edges of Greenland, Iceland, and Spain in 2026.
Totality will not occur again in North America until 2033, with the only low wave occurring in Alaska. It then continues until 2044, when the total amount is limited to western Canada, Montana, and North Dakota.
A coast-to-coast solar eclipse in the United States won't occur until 2045. The eclipse will extend from Northern California to Cape Canaveral, Florida.
