The Great American Eclipse is on August 21, and many Americans are making travel plans to be within the 70-mile swath that stretches from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic to see a rare solar eclipse.
Although many are planning for an incredible astronomical event, the one thing that could ruin such an event is cloud cover.
One way to avoid the cloudiness on that day is to be on board an Alaska Airlines flight that will take passengers above the clouds, and give them an opportunity to see the eclipse while the moon completely blocks the sun. A contest will be held in July to pick a random person to join the flight.
According to Alaska Airlines, a plane will take off from Portland, Oregon around 7:30 a.m. out to the Pacific Ocean, arriving at a spot 35,000 feet over the ocean to view the total solar eclipse.
"As an airline, we are in a unique position to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for astronomy enthusiasts," said Sangita Woerner, Alaska's vice president of marketing "Flying high above the Pacific Ocean will not only provide one of the first views, but also one of the best."
Alaska Airlines launches the contest July 21 on its social media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook.
If you are stuck on the ground for the Great American Eclipse, NASA has created an app to pinpoint exactly how the eclipse will look in your area -- that is if the clouds don't block your view.
