Jon Carmichael’s Remarkable Solar Eclipse Photo

© Jon Carmichael photograph of the Great American Eclipse taken at 39,000 feet over the Oregon and Idaho border.

Last year’s total solar eclipse in the United States was a major event. It was a rare occasion when people of all types stepped outside, and marveled at the beauty and magic of our natural world, and the solar system.  Photographer Jon Carmichael was adamant about making the very most of the moment, so he specifically planned to be on a plane during the event, from Portland, Oregon to St. Louis, to capture the total eclipse from above 30,000 feet.

Boarding the Southwest flight, Carmichael explained his mission to the crew, who bent over backwards to make the moment as momentous as possible, including the captain personally going outside the plane to hand wash Carmichael’s window.  Additionally, the pilots flew the plane in circles to get repeated angles and approaches of the eclipse view.

Southwest put together a video of the event, and the lengths they went to make the flight a special one. Via MyModernMet:

© Jon Carmichael photograph of the Great American Eclipse taken at 39,000 feet over the Oregon and Idaho border.Jon-Carmichael-Eclipse-Pilot-Cleaning-Window© Jon Carmichael photograph of the Great American Eclipse taken at 39,000 feet over the Oregon and Idaho border.