Isro Is Launching Proba-3 To Block The Sun: What Is The Motive Behind Artificial Eclipse

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission is set to revolutionized solar observation by creating an artificial solar eclipse in space

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Using a pair of satellites working in tandem, the mission aims to study the Sun's corona a challenging but critical region of the Sun's outer atmosphere like never before

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The Proba-3 satellite will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) aboard the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV) on December 4

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The Proba-3 mission consists of two satellites, the Occulter Satellite (OSC) and the Coronagraph Satellite (CSC)

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The OSC carries a 1.4-meter occulting disc designed to block sunlight, creating a shadow approximately eight centimeters wide at a distance of 150 meters

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Positioned within this shadow is the CSC, which houses a telescope with a 5-centimeter aperture

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These satellites will maintain a precise formation, with millimetric accuracy, using formation-flying techniques

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Its artificial eclipse will allow continuous observation of the corona for six hours during each 20-hour orbit, offering a hundredfold increase in observation time compared to natural eclipses

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The mission will focus on the gap region between the low and high corona, which has been difficult to study until now

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Proba-3 represents a significant leap forward in solar research, promising unprecedented insights into the Sun's dynamics and its impact on space weather.

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