On June 30, 1973, a supersonic jet screamed across the African sky at 58,000 feet, chasing darkness at 1,450 miles per hour. Inside Concorde 001, seven scientists peer through holes cut in the roof, watching the longest solar eclipse in human history unfold. //

Over Africa, the Moon’s shadow raced across Earth at over 1,300 miles per hour. Ground observers got seven minutes before the shadow moved on. But Concorde at Mach 2.2 could actually outrun the shadow, staying locked in totality for as long as fuel lasted. //

Height mattered as much as speed. At 58,000 feet, the aircraft flew above weather, water vapor, and atmospheric turbulence that would blur ground observations. The combination of speed, altitude, and precise navigation created a stable observatory hurtling through space faster than a rifle bullet.