The European Space Agency (ESA) has made history with its Proba-3 mission, which successfully created the first artificial solar eclipses in space.
This was achieved using two satellites flying in precise formation: one blocks the Sun (the occulter) while the other observes the Sun’s outer atmosphere (coronagraph). Unlike natural solar eclipses that last just a few minutes, these artificial eclipses can last up to 6 hours, and can be repeated twice a week.
Since March 2025, over 10 eclipses have already been conducted, and the first clear, high-quality images of the solar corona have been released.
This breakthrough allows scientists to continuously study solar phenomena like coronal heating, solar wind, and coronal mass ejections—which are key to understanding and predicting space weather.
This marks a major technological leap in satellite coordination and solar research, offering nearly 200 eclipses and 1,000+ hours of corona observation over the mission's two-year life—far surpassing what’s possible from Earth.
This was achieved using two satellites flying in precise formation: one blocks the Sun (the occulter) while the other observes the Sun’s outer atmosphere (coronagraph). Unlike natural solar eclipses that last just a few minutes, these artificial eclipses can last up to 6 hours, and can be repeated twice a week.
Since March 2025, over 10 eclipses have already been conducted, and the first clear, high-quality images of the solar corona have been released.
This breakthrough allows scientists to continuously study solar phenomena like coronal heating, solar wind, and coronal mass ejections—which are key to understanding and predicting space weather.
This marks a major technological leap in satellite coordination and solar research, offering nearly 200 eclipses and 1,000+ hours of corona observation over the mission's two-year life—far surpassing what’s possible from Earth.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has made history with its Proba-3 mission, which successfully created the first artificial solar eclipses in space.
This was achieved using two satellites flying in precise formation: one blocks the Sun (the occulter) while the other observes the Sun’s outer atmosphere (coronagraph). Unlike natural solar eclipses that last just a few minutes, these artificial eclipses can last up to 6 hours, and can be repeated twice a week.
Since March 2025, over 10 eclipses have already been conducted, and the first clear, high-quality images of the solar corona have been released.
This breakthrough allows scientists to continuously study solar phenomena like coronal heating, solar wind, and coronal mass ejections—which are key to understanding and predicting space weather.
This marks a major technological leap in satellite coordination and solar research, offering nearly 200 eclipses and 1,000+ hours of corona observation over the mission's two-year life—far surpassing what’s possible from Earth.
