Scientists will create an artificial solar eclipse in space for the first time using a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft called Proba-3. This project, developed over the past 14 years, aims to study in more detail the corona of the Sun, which is inaccessible to observation from Earth.
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The project includes two vehicles that will be launched into space and then separated to fly around the Earth. One of the devices will emulate the lunar disk, covering the Sun, while the second, equipped with a coronagraph, will study the solar corona at this moment. The two probes will be at a distance of 144 meters from each other and will maintain the configuration for 6 hours, and will take 19.5 hours to completely circle the Earth.
An artificial solar eclipse will allow scientists to obtain unique data about the Sun’s corona, which is usually difficult to study due to its elusiveness from Earth. The Proba-3 project is scheduled to launch into space on an Indian PSLV launch vehicle in September 2024, as ESA has temporarily lost the ability to use its own launch vehicles.
This project will provide astronomers with a unique opportunity to conduct long-term observations of the solar corona, expanding our understanding of this mysterious region. In particular, Proba-3 will allow scientists to study the corona for several hours every day, unlike the rare visibility of the corona during natural solar eclipses on Earth.
Earlier, Cursor reported that scientists have figured out how to save the planet from boiling.
