A pair of European satellites has been launched on a mission to create artificial total solar eclipses lasting up to six hours each. This innovative project aims to study the sun's corona and understand coronal mass ejections, which can cause geomagnetic storms disrupting Earth's power and communication systems.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A pair of European satellites were launched into orbit Thursday on a mission to create artificial total solar eclipses . Once operations commence next year, each eclipse will last for six hours, significantly more extended than the few minutes of totality offered by natural eclipses. The satellites will separate within a month, flying 492 feet (150 meters) apart and aligning with the sun to create shadows on one another.
This requires an extreme precision of just one millimeter, equivalent to a fingernail’s thickness. The satellites will rely on GPS, star trackers, lasers, and radio links for positioning, flying autonomously. Each cube-shaped satellite is less than 5 feet (1.5 meters) across. The shadow-casting satellite holds a disk to block the sun from the telescope on the other satellite, mimicking the moon in a natural solar eclipse. This mission aims to better understand the sun’s corona and coronal mass ejections, which can cause geomagnetic storms disrupting power and communications on Earth and in orbit
European Satellites Artificial Solar Eclipses Total Solar Eclipses Sun's Corona Coronal Mass Ejections Geomorphic Storms
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