The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a pair of satellites that will create the first artificial solar eclipses, allowing scientists to study the sun’s outer atmosphere for longer periods. The Proba-3 mission consists of two satellites weighing about 1,210 pounds each and is expected to operate in an elliptical orbit above Earth for four months.
The satellites will fly hundreds of feet apart in their tandem orbit, aligning in front of the sun to cast a shadow from one to another, mimicking a natural solar eclipse. This phenomenon will block the sun’s light for up to six hours at a time, enabling the ESA to study aspects of the sun’s corona, including its temperature and coronal mass ejections.
The satellites’ precise positioning is crucial for creating artificial solar eclipses, requiring them to maintain a position within one millimeter of each other. The spacecraft rely on GPS, star trackers, lasers, and radio links to fly autonomously.
While the artificial solar eclipses themselves will not be visible from Earth, images from these events will be released by the ESA. The mission is part of the agency’s fourth low-cost orbital series and is expected to cost around $210 million.
The Proba-3 satellites are expected to remain in orbit for two years before gradually dropping lower into the Earth’s atmosphere over a period of five years.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/12/05/satellites-designed-to-create-artificial-solar-eclipses-just-launched-heres-when-well-be-able-to-see-images