Solar Eclipse Maestro Icon

Eclipse Flight Totality Duration Data

To visualize, copy or save the eclipse flight duration tabulated data with reference to the intercept location in Solar Eclipse Maestro you have to open the Eclipse Flight Totality Duration Data dialog.

  1. Choose E-Flight > Totality Duration Data…
  2. Coordinates are displayed in decimal notation every 15 seconds.
    Eclipse Flight Totality Duration Data Dialog
  3. The time step-size increment, elevation and true airspeed can all be modified when the computations aren’t running. The step-size increment can take any integer value from 1 to 900 seconds, that is 15 minutes. The default elevation is 39,000 feet as most eclipse flights are computed at this altitude. However, the elevation values can be in the range of 0 to 1,640,420 feet (500,000 meters) to accomodate any needs, such as from a jet aircraft or even from space. The true airspeed can be selected in the 0 to 10,000 knots range.
    Then you need to click on the Compute button to display the new data.
  4. A contextual menu, that can be invoked with a right click over the eclipse path data, will let you select various options:
    • Decimal Notation DDD.ddddd - Display the path coordinates in decimal notation
    • Degrees Minutes DDDMM.mmm - Display the path coordinates in degrees and minutes format
    • Degrees Minutes Seconds DDDMMSS.s - Display the path coordinates in degrees, minutes and seconds format
    • Save Content To Text File… - Allow the user to save the eclipse path data to a text file
    Eclipse Flight Totality Duration Data Contextual Menu
  5. The altitude of the Sun is computed with reference to the astronomical horizon, and note that atmospheric refraction is not taken into account.
    The intercept is executed with a Sun perpendicular to the passenger cabin windows of the aircraft when the SUn is under 60 degrees, otherwise it’s with the shadow (in the I.T. column, P = perpendicular, W = with the shadow).
    Right now the lunar limb corrected duration is not yet computed for this table.

Only the total and annular eclipses, hence the hybrids as well, are handled. Non-central eclipses are also handled and the intercept is then executed along the maximum on horizon.