In a revolutionary movement that is obliged to “transform solar observation”, the European Space AgencyThe proba-3 (ESA) has already photographed the first artificial solar eclipse in space after two of the satellites launched as a pair of spaceships in an Indian PSLV-XL Launch The rocket in December 2024 was maneuvered as a pair and made its inaugural sun block on May 23.
The projected eclipse images were obtained with unprecedented millimeter accuracy, replicating the sun’s view of a natural sun solar eclipsewhich is extremely uncommon. Natural eclipses happen only once every 366 years in any geographical region, making the sight of the Sun’s Nebula External atmosphere, or Corona, a scarce and exciting event.
ESA’s proba-3 revolutionizes solar study with artificial eclipse technology
According to an ESA reportThe mission uses a pair of satellites: one acts like an artificial moon blocking the sun, while the other captures images using a telescope called Aspiics. This configuration acts as a space coronagraph, greatly surpassing soil -based models impaired by the earth’s atmosphere.
“Current coronagraphs are no match for the proba-3,” noted Jorge Amaya, ESA space climate modeling coordinator. The crown, a million times darker than the sun’s disc, is vital to understanding the solar wind and spatial climate This can affect Earth’s power grids and satellite systems.
Proba-3 Image of solar phenomena, including prominences and ejections of coronal mass, has already provided thin sun structures to the inner face of the crown. The image can be repeated every 19.6 hours, which is even faster than expecting what nature intended.
The spacecraft, in an accurate elliptical orbit, acts as a large coronagraph at a distance of 60,000 km from Earth with the necessary accuracy of 1 mm autonomial. The data, which will be processed by the Real Observatory, will be free for scientists around the world.
The space -based artificial eclipses around the boundaries of nature, allowing solar scientists to obtain access to the star that has made life possible on earth and allowed humanity to contemplate their place in the cosmos, leading a new era of solar physics.