The European Space Agency will stage a series of 6-hour solar eclipses in space

For the first time, eclipses will be created independently of celestial mechanics

The unique experiment “Proba-3” to create long-lasting solar eclipses will take place this fall in Earth’s orbit. The European Space Agency intends to do this with the help of two spacecraft.

Photo: ru.wikipedia .org

The pair of satellites will fly together relative to the Sun, with one casting a precisely controlled shadow on the other, ESA said. In this way, the first artificial solar eclipse will be created, lasting at least 6 hours.

This arrangement of satellites, simulating the relative position of the Earth and the Moon relative to the Sun, will open the corona of the Sun to observers on Earth for a longer study (usually it is not visible from -for bright sunlight).

The two Proba-3 satellites, which will be launched simultaneously this fall, will fly 144 meters apart, creating 6-hour eclipses during each orbit. Apart from its scientific interest, this experiment will be an ideal method for demonstrating the precise positioning of the two platforms.