During a total solar eclipse the Moon's shadow sweeps across the ground faster than a jet, well over 1,600 km/h even where it's slowest.

The shadow's speed is the Moon's orbital motion minus the ground's rotation beneath it, so it's slowest near the equator and screams along at higher latitudes. Totality lasts a few minutes at best, and the Concorde once chased one for 74 minutes.

Source: NASA eclipse resources (opens in a new tab) · checked Aug 2026

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During a total solar eclipse the Moon's shadow sweeps across the ground faster than a jet, well over 1,600 km/h even where it's slowest.

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During a total solar eclipse the Moon's shadow sweeps across the ground faster than a jet, well over 1,600 km/h even where it's slowest.

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