Overview

• Proba-3’s two satellites flew in March in precise formation with one casting an eight-centimeter shadow on the other 150 meters away to simulate a total solar eclipse.
• The mission’s telescope, positioned at the center of the shadow, recorded high-resolution views of the Sun’s corona in violet and natural hues.
• Launched in December 2024, the two-year initiative involves 14 ESA member states, including Austria and Switzerland.
• Researchers will use the data to investigate coronal mass ejections and solar storms that can disrupt satellites and communication networks on Earth.
• Scientists also aim to resolve the long-standing mystery of the corona’s million-degree temperatures compared with the Sun’s surface.