Solar Eclipse 2026: Can a Plane Ride the Moon’s Shadow?
On 12 August 2026 a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of the globe. Diederik and Krijn wonder whether an aircraft could actually chase the umbra, extending the period of totality for its passengers. They break down the geometry: the Sun sits roughly 150 million km away, the Moon about 384 000 km from Earth, and the shadow races across the surface at roughly 1 700 km h⁻¹. By comparing these numbers with the cruising speed of modern jets, they show that keeping up with the moving shadow is virtually impossible, though a supersonic Concorde‑type craft could have set a record in the 1970s.
Key Eclipse Facts
The episode outlines the longest possible totality, the role of the Perseids meteor shower, and the upcoming encounter with comet Swift‑Tuttle. Listeners also learn about the “Melkwegpad” – a planetary trail at the Westerbork radio‑astronomy site that visualises the solar system’s layout for school groups.
Inside the Power Grid: Why Spain and Portugal Blacked Out
Switching gears, the hosts dive into the intricacies of alternating‑current (AC) transmission. They explain how voltage and current are deliberately kept out of phase to minimise losses, and why reactive power – the invisible component stored in inductors and capacitors – can become a troublemaker when it gets out of balance.
Inductors, Capacitors, and Self‑Induction
Through simple analogies, the duo describes how coils store magnetic energy, how capacitors hoard electric charge, and how self‑induction can cause voltage spikes when a circuit is suddenly opened. They point out that adding banks of capacitors can smooth out voltage fluctuations, a technique employed in many modern substations.
The Iberian Blackout Explained
According to an ENTSO‑E investigation, a cascade of phase‑angle mismatches and overloaded lines triggered a massive outage on 28 April 2025. The loss of reactive power caused voltage collapse, forcing generators to trip offline and leaving large swaths of Spain and Portugal in the dark. The podcast highlights how better coordination of reactive‑power reserves could have averted the crisis.
Wrapping Up
By juxtaposing celestial mechanics with electrical engineering, the episode shows that both the heavens and the grid operate on precise timing and delicate balances. Whether you’re dreaming of flying behind a lunar shadow or troubleshooting a power‑system fault, the underlying physics shares a common language of energy flow.
Source: https://scientias.nl/spookstroom-in-het-netwerk-en-vliegen-achter-een-eclips-scientias-podcast-84/