ESA's Proba-3 Mission: Creating Artificial Solar Eclipses to Study the Sun's Corona

Europe’s Space Agency to Create Artificial Solar Eclipses

The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to launch a mission, known as Proba-3, to study the Sun’s corona by creating artificial solar eclipses. Two spacecraft will be flown in precise formation to block out all but the corona, allowing for observation using a coronagraph instrument. The mission presents technical and practical challenges, but the ESA is aiming for six-hour eclipse observations during the crafts’ 19-hour, 36-minute orbits.

Key Takeaways:

• ESA plans to create artificial solar eclipses to study the Sun’s corona.
• Two spacecraft will be flown in precise formation, with one blocking the corona for observation by the other.
• The mission, known as Proba-3, aims to measure the Sun’s total energy output to inform climate modeling.

Analysis:

Studying the Sun’s corona is crucial due to its impact on solar wind and potential effects on Earth, such as coronal mass ejections causing auroras and electrical outages. The Proba-3 mission holds the potential to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s influence on our solar system’s weather.

Do You Know?

• Coronagraphs are limited in their capabilities due to light diffraction, making the development of Proba-3 an innovative solution.
• The mission's success could significantly contribute to climate modeling and our understanding of solar phenomena.