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SALT LAKE CITY — Ready to take your eclipse-viewing game to new heights, umbraphiles?
Delta Air Lines just announced a special flight from Austin to Detroit that aligns with peak viewing times for the April 8 total solar eclipse event.
Flight 1218 will depart Austin at 12:15 p.m. CDT that day and carry passengers to 30,000 feet for a trip that will maximize time in the path of totality for the approximately three-hour flight.
And besides being on the perfect path for an airborne view of the event, Delta has scheduled the flight on board an Airbus A220-300, a plane that features extra large windows.
"This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for — from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air," Eric Beck, Delta's managing director of domestic network planning, said in a press release. "Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers."
More solar eclipse flights
Delta officials also noted that it has a handful of other April 8 flights that should provide excellent glimpses of the eclipse, including two flights that day out of Salt Lake City International Airport:
- DL 5699, Detroit to White Plains, New York, 2:59 p.m. EDT departure, ERJ-175;
- DL 924, Los Angeles to Dallas-Fort Worth, 8:40 a.m. PDT departure, A320;
- DL 2869, Los Angeles to San Antonio, 9 a.m. PDT departure, A319;
- DL 1001, Salt Lake City to San Antonio, 10:08 a.m. MDT departure, A220-300;
- DL 1683, Salt Lake City to Austin, 9:55 a.m. MDT departure, A320;
NASA reports the total solar eclipse event on April 8 will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico's Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT.
How to safely view a solar eclipse
NASA scientists note safety is the top priority when viewing a total solar eclipse and encourage eclipse viewers to familiarize themselves with safety guidelines.
Some solar eclipse fun facts from NASA:
- After the event on April 8, the next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.
- While earthlings typically aren't able to see the sun's outer atmosphere from their home planet, the corona becomes visible during a total solar eclipse and offers unique opportunities for study.
- When the moon completely blocks the visible surface of the sun during a total solar eclipse, viewers can remove their eclipse glasses. NASA says a total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where the safety glasses can be momentarily removed.
- At the point of totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up, thinking it's nighttime, according to NASA. And non-nocturnal wildlife may think it's time to sleep.
