Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona

New telescope technology reveals Sun’s corona in unmatched detail

For decades, scientists have struggled to see the outermost layer of the Sun, called the corona, with enough detail to unlock its secrets. This region, which blazes at millions of degrees and throws out dramatic solar flares, remains a mystery despite years of study. One major obstacle has been Earth’s atmosphere. Like turbulence shaking an airplane, it blurs telescope images taken from the ground, hiding fine details in the Sun’s outer layers. …

Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona

Twin satellites in ESA’s Proba-3 mission have successfully recreated artificial solar eclipses from space to examine the sun’s million-degree corona. The breakthrough will allow continuous observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere, offering rare insights that natural eclipses on Earth can’t provide. The mission marks a major step in solar science and is expected to capture over 1,000 eclipse hours.